Rescue of Master Corporal Samuel Braddock
by missblueeyes63
Summary: Sam's POW experience, how his Unit rescues him, helps him recover from horrible physical/emotional wounds & recounts his first mission after he returns to active duty. General's side shown too. Story has torture/murder/killing/attempted suicide/sexual scenes/mentions child sex slavery (none occurs). Emotionally intense, dark & violent at times, may not be suitable for all readers.
1. Burlap Bag & Gone and Denied

**Rescue of Master Corporal Samuel Braddock**

* * *

 _ **Summary:**_ _The story of Sam's POW experience, the lengths his JTF2 unit will go to rescue him and to help him recover from his physical and emotional injuries. Also shows the General's side of things. There are some descriptions of torture, murder, multiple killings and attempts of suicide. It is emotionally intense and violent in places and therefore may not be suitable for all readers._

 _ **Setting:**_ _This story is pre-series in my Beauty of Life AU. It is Sam and his JTF2 buddies, the General and all the OC characters needed to round out the story_ _._

 _ **A/N: Special thank you**_ _to_ _ **venetiaj**_ _for helping me ensure continuity and offer suggestions that helped me craft this story._

 _ **Disclaimers:  
**_ _I do not own Flashpoint or any of the characters from that series.  
_ _All lyrics used in this story are the property and copyright of their owners.  
_ _I do own my original characters (OC)._

* * *

 **Burlap Bag** ** & Gone and Denied**

* * *

 _ **Somewhere in Afghanistan**_

Sam was just coming to and saw Travis and Murphy running away laughing. He was trying to orient himself and stand up when he was surrounded by terrorists. He was thrown to the ground, trussed up and gagged.

"Hasanana alan ybdw laday 'aleubat jadida. Nahn nadhhab l dik alkthyr min almirah maeaan."  
(Well now it seems I have a new plaything. We are going to have lots of fun together) Qasim said as leaned down looking a the blonde soldier.

As the burlap bag was put over his head sounds of disgusting laughter full of malevolence filled Sam's ears. Shit he was just captured by terrorists and was a prisoner.

Sam was wrenched up by his armpits and drug across the ground. It was just his damned bad luck that he was in no shape to get away from them. Damn Murphy and Travis. Part of him was glad they got away. He wondered if they saw the terrorist take him.

Sergeant Gleason would want to know where he was. He could only hope that Murphy or Travis saw and could report it. But then again they were laughing when they were running away. So they could not have known.

Most likely Murphy would report that it would take him a while to pack his gear and that he would be coming shortly. It had happened before. It was just more of the same shit he put up with from Murphy. That man had it in for him since Special Ops training.

Probably had something to do with the fact his father was the General. But most likely it has to do with the beating Matt and several others gave him in training after the cliff incident. Murphy would try to make him look bad with Sergeant Gleason. Murphy tried to do that whenever he was with Murphy's unit. It was the same old shit with Murphy.

When he didn't show Sam knew that the Sergeant would come looking for him. Gleason wasn't a bad sort just not a very good Sergeant or leader yet. He had come into command when the previous CO of this unit and the second in command had been killed several months ago. But Gleason would not leave without him. Unlike Parsons and Nicholls had.

Sam suppressed the groan when he was picked up and thrown onto something hard. Feeling with his fingers he determined it was metal. Then he heard an engine start and felt the vibration. He was in a vehicle. Damn, now it would be difficult to track him.

He tried to remain as calm as he could. He had been trained how to survive capture. The first thing was to remain relaxed and in control of emotions. He knew once Gleason returned to base or maybe radioed it in that he was missing that his unit would come looking for him. He just had to survive until they got to him.

Sam could not stop the groan as an unexpected kick landed in his stomach and then his back. He curled as tightly as he could to protect himself with his arms tied behind his back.

In his mind he called out to Matt "I didn't do so hot watching my back Matt. I know you are coming. I resolve here and now to do whatever I must to hold on until you come for me. But fast would be good. I didn't like the sound of that guy."

A painful kick to the head stopped all thoughts as Sam lost consciousness.

Qasim yelled at the one that kicked the soldier in the head "Mening o'yinchoq o'ldirmang. Men uning uchun yaxshi pul to'langan" (Do not kill my plaything. I paid good money for him.)

* * *

 _ **Remote Special Forces Base - Afghanistan**_

Blaze saw the Humvees approaching and smiled. Blondie was back. Matt had been so upset that Blondie had to leave before he returned. It had been hard to distract him from his worry the past five days.

He felt bad that Blondie would not get much of a rest. Winds and Ripsaw had sorted out the essentials Blondie would need and they would take care of repacking his gear and cleaning his rifle for him while he slept. Matt and Mason had packed a care package for him. Matt had brought back a stash of power bars that Blondie liked. They knew Blondie would be tired and hungry but they had to head out on a mission in three hours.

They would make sure he showered then hit the bunk until they had to leave. Then ensure that Blondie rested enroute and ate something. Patch had an IV ready so he could help rehydrate him if he had run low on water. It was quite possible because Gleason's unit had been expected yesterday. They were a day late in returning.

Blaze called out to the tent "Humvees entering. Blondie's back"

Matt raced out with a broad grin. He hated that he had missed Sam before he headed out on his mission. Matt looked down at the jacket he held. He had gotten Sam's new rank insignias attached. Blaze had put in promotions for both of them and both had come through.

His gut had been churning for the past four days. Matt was so glad to see the dust trail of the Humvees as they got closer to camp. He turned to Blaze and said "About time. I was beginning to worry."

Winds slapped him on the back "What do you mean beginning? You've been as antsy as a cat on a hot tin roof for the past few days."

Mason grinned "That's the truth Matt. You don't hide your worry as well as Winds does."

Patch, Mason and Ripsaw laughed at Winds fake scowl. Ripsaw said "But at least you do better than Patch. Patch is an open book."

Shrugging Patch said "So."

Matt wrapped an arm around Patch's shoulder. Whatever he was gonna say never came out as the Humvees stopped in the camp and Gleason's unit got out.

They all saw that Gleason's face was hard, unyielding and beyond angry. He threw a sat phone to the ground shattering it into pieces and stormed towards the command tent.

The guys exchanged glances at the peculiar behavior. They watched the entire unit disembark the Humvees. They were one short. Oh god someone had died they thought. That would explain Gleason's anger.

Scanning the men they all were looking for Blondie. Blaze yelled at the top of his lungs "GLEASON WHERE IS BLONDIE?"

Gleason stopped just before entering the command tent. He was not looking forwards to facing Blaze. His call sign was descriptive. He slowly turned to face Blaze and saw Braddock's entire unit standing and waiting for his answer.

He said "Gone."

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN GONE?" Blaze raged as he and the entire unit moved towards Gleason.

Gleason shouted back "GONE AS IN G.O.N.E. GONE."

Matt was the first one to reach Gleason and grabbed the Sergeant and swept his feet out from under him. Landing on his back in the dust Gleason grunted.

Rage filled Matt as he sat atop Gleason and screamed "SAM'S DEAD. YOU LET SAM DIE!"

Getting his breath Gleason said in a deflated tone "I don't know. All I know is he is gone. When Murphy and Travis went to get him from his perch he was gone. There were signs of a struggle and some blood. His gear was left. Looked like he was dragged off."

Blaze's fury raged "And you did not think you should call that in?"

Mason was pulling Matt off of Gleason while Blaze spoke. It wouldn't do for him to get court-martialed for attacking a senior rank. Matt struggled but eventually allowed Mason to pull him off.

Gleason was rising and didn't bother to even brush off the dirt. He answered "All the damned radios were FUBAR. I tried to call it in. Spent yesterday trying to find a trail. The drag marks ended at some heavy tire marks. Whoever took him drove away. Lost the trail six clicks down the road when it broke off into four different directions. We scouted each direction several clicks but were unable to determine which way."

Looking at the stricken faces of Braddock's unit he said "Sorry for my reaction and words earlier. I'm just so pissed. Nothing went right on this mission. The targets never showed. Then Braddock is gone. We were on radio silence for three days. I have no idea how long he's been gone."

Major Plouffe stormed out of the tent "What is going on here? Sergeant Gleason you are to report to me not Lieutenant Blain. Now get inside. I want to hear your report. You never got your targets. That is not going to go over well with Colonel Sutton. You better have a damned good reason."

Then he looked at Blaze "Lieutenant Blain I do believe you have work to do to prepare for your mission."

Blaze looked at the man with hot fury in his eyes "Did you not hear that Braddock is missing?"

"Yes, yes I heard that. I will assign another sniper to your unit. You can take Corporal Wallen from Lieutenant Chavez's unit. He should suffice" Plouffe gruffed out.

Winds yelled "Braddock is missing. We need to go looking for him now."

Plouffe glared at him "Watch it." Turning to Blaze he ordered "Your mission is your priority. I will communicate Braddock's disappearance and it will be handled appropriately."

Matt stood stunned. He could not believe what he was hearing. It was like Plouffe could care less that one of the men was taken. That he may have been in the terrorist's hands for three or four days by now. A lot could happen to a man in that period of time. Sam could be tortured or even dead by now.

That thought struck him hard and his knees went weak. Matt started to collapse to the ground. Ripsaw and Mason caught him before his knees hit the ground.

Matt's shocked and pained eyes looked at Blaze "We have to find him. We have to."

Blaze was so conflicted. He had orders. He wanted to go right now and find Blondie. Matt's begging eyes and pleading tone tore at him. He turned to Plouffe and stated "I respectfully request that our mission be transferred to Lieutenant Chavez's unit and my unit be put on the rescue mission for Braddock."

Plouffe looked at Blain and answered "Denied." Then he walked into the tent and called out "Gleason in here now."

The men stared at the tent a long time. All were shocked that Blaze's request had been denied so callously and with no explanation.


	2. Small Cell, So Much Fun & Kill Everyone

**Small Cell, So Much Fun & Kill Everyone **

* * *

_**One Week After Capture – Terrorist**_ _ **Compound**_

Sam lay curled in a corner of the small cell. It was barely large enough to stretch out his legs. Which he couldn't do even if he wanted to because both his legs were shackled to the wall with a short chain. His stomach had ceased growling and just ached with the emptiness. Every muscle ached and one eye was swollen shut. His lips were so parched and he craved water.

He had found a small sharp rock and managed to make little scratches in the wall. It had been seven days since he arrive here. He had no clue how long it took to bring him here. Sam had woken in the dark of night to find himself shackled to the wall completely stripped naked.

At least at the time he thought it was night because it was so dark. It turned out he was right when the light of morning came through a very tiny slit near the ceiling of the room. It had only a sliver of light but enough for Sam to see the size of the room.

Seven days of endless beatings. By the second day he realized the only water he would be getting was when they drug him to the other room and water boarded him. Two days ago they had dropped some slop they said was food onto the dirt floor. It was the first and so far only thing given him to eat. It was disgusting but he ate it. He had to if he wanted to survive.

The unit would be coming to rescue him. Matt would come to rescue him. He had to stay alive. Even if it meant consuming something not fit enough even for a dung beetle.

SERE training had been severe and was supposed to prepare him to deal with being captured. Part of that training had helped but it was a joke when compared to actual torture. The part that helped was finding a happy place. Making his mind go someplace else as the hits continued to land on him.

But late at night as he lay curled up and freezing it was hard to get his mind to go there. In the dark of night the reality of his situation came home to roost. It's when he cried silently and begged for the guys to save him. It's when every ache and pain flared up and he wished Patch was here to shoot him up with any narcotic pain meds. It's when he could care less if the meds made him loopy.

He just wanted relief from the ever present pain. Embarrassment at being loopy be damned. Hell, embarrassment had gone out the window the first day when they dragged him out of his little cell and made him stand stark naked in front of fifty or more men.

Sam understood every word they said but never let on that he did. He had been repulsed and scared shitless when he heard them saying what they wanted to do to him. It had been hard to pretend he didn't hear what they said. SERE had prepared him for the possibility of rape but never in his wildest dreams did he think he would be captured and threatened with that. So far no one had acted on it.

The only thing he repeated was his name, rank and service number. God how he hated the sound of Master Corporal Samuel Braddock now. But it was strange that they were not asking him questions about units and locations and targets.

Sam shifted on the ground and curled tighter unable to get warm. The days were so hot but the nights were freezing. Sam knew he needed rest in the worst way and tried to force himself to relax. Nothing was working.

The Sam took a page from Matt. He began to hear songs in his head. Sam finally drifted into an uneasy sleep hearing _'Enter Sandman'_ by Metallica*.

 _Say your prayers little one  
Don't forget my son  
To include everyone_

 _Tuck you in warm within  
Keep you free from sin  
Till the Sandman he comes_

 _Sleep with one eye open  
Gripping your pillow tight_

 _Exit: light  
Enter: night  
Take my hand  
We're off to never never land_

 _Something's wrong, shut the light  
Heavy thoughts tonight  
And they aren't of Snow White_

 _Dreams of war, dreams of liars  
Dreams of dragon's fire  
And of things that will bite_

 _Sleep with one eye open  
Gripping your pillow tight_

 _Exit: light  
Enter: night  
Take my hand  
We're off to never never land_

 _Now I lay me down to sleep  
Pray the Lord my soul to keep  
If I die before I wake  
Pray the Lord my soul to take_

 _Hush little baby don't say a word  
And never mind that noise you heard  
It's just the beasts under your bed  
In your closet, in your head_

 _Exit: light  
Enter: night  
Grain of sand_

 _Exit: light  
Enter: night  
Take my hand  
We're off to never never land_

* * *

 _ **Two Weeks After Capture – Remote Special Forces Base**_

Major Plouffe was alone in the command tent. He was preparing a special package for the General. He would send it with Murphy when their unit went back to Canada for a short leave and to train with their new sniper for four weeks before returning here. Plouffe needed to get Gleason's unit away before too many questions were asked of them.

Murphy in turn would mail it to the General. Normally he had a way of slipping it undetected into the General's mail in Kandahar via Merrill but the General was in Ottawa right now and not expected back for five more weeks. Plouffe could not wait that long to taunt him.

Plouffe took out his red marker and looked at the picture. Hmmm what to write this time he wondered. Fly Sammy fly had been so good when Braddock nearly died going off that cliff. What to write about his toy soldier now? He turned and knocked his water bottle off the table. It fell to the ground. It came to him as the water dribbled into the dirt floor.

With a gleeful smile he wrote 'toy soldier fallen' across little Braddock's chest. He capped the pen and put the picture in an ordinary plain manila envelope and sealed it. Then he put it in an official looking envelope to hand to Murphy.

Plouffe removed his gloves and thought this was so much fun taunting the General. General Badass was paying tenfold for all the slights he had given him over the years. It was gonna be a bit boring now that the toy soldier was dead and gone. He would have to find another way to hurt the General.

But it had been so much fun ever since his toy soldier joined Special Forces. He had lucked out with finding out how to taunt the General without the General having a clue with what he was really doing to his toy soldier.

It was the third time that he sent Braddock out with another unit that he discovered the HL and HB codes; How Long and How Bad.

The first time Plouffe sent Braddock out it had been bad. It's when he found out Murphy had a grudge against Braddock. His toy soldier came back all bruised with a split lip because Murphy beat the shit out of him. That had been fortuitous and he had used Murphy several times since then. The man was easy to manipulate.

His toy soldier looked even worse the second time. Like something the cat dragged in he was so dead tired after fourteen days straight with that unit. The blank look in Braddock's eyes spoke a lot to how killing affected him. His toy soldier had made fourteen kills that mission.

The third time had nearly killed Braddock when Plouffe sent him with Parsons' unit. Blaze and Matt had found Braddock outside the tent unable to speak because he was so parched and beat up. Plouffe had been near their tent when the unit was trying to get his toy soldier to tell them what he needed and how bad it was.

Plouffe heard Winds and Ripsaw raging about how the General was trying to kill Blondie. He had stepped back into the shadows and listened; riveted by their conversation. It was then that he heard Patch and Blaze discussing a code they could use to do quick assessments. Patch was all about assessments and trained his unit mates to report their injuries succinctly.

That damned man kept his toy soldier alive and healthy. And Matt that ass kept his toy soldier laughing. It pissed him off. But then again it had allowed him to taunt the General for a longer period of time. So it wasn't all bad.

When Blaze suggested two simple questions that only required a number response Plouffe rubbed his hands in glee. It was perfect to taunt the General and the General would have no clue what it meant.

Their little code was How Long and How Bad. When asked how long Braddock would answer with the number of days he was in his perch. How Bad was for how many kills he had to make. Plouffe kept track of exactly how many kills Braddock made. He always chose missions with the probability of very high kill counts for Braddock.

Plouffe often wondered how many kills it would take to destroy Braddock's soul or break him completely. He guessed he would never know now that his toy soldier was surely dead. No one could survive two weeks in the hands of the torturer Rifat Qasim. Qasim had a reputation for being ungodly brutal, both physically and mentally, with his torture methods.

Picking up his water bottle and then the envelope Plouffe headed out of the command tent to find Murphy with a smile on his face.

* * *

 _ **Three Weeks After Capture – Remote Special Forces Base**_

Matt laid on his cot his MP3 player blaring ' _Kill Everyone'_ by Hollywood Undead* in his ears. Matt had barely slept. He couldn't. Sam was out there somewhere.

Their mission had taken two weeks. They had been back at base for another week. The unit had been stalled at every turn in their attempt to go out and find Sam themselves.

Matt belted out the words of the song angrily.

 _You got the motherfucking right to remain violent  
Hollow points hiding in my clip  
I'll take twenty-five just to watch your life end  
I pray, "Father, please forgive me 'fore I sin"  
Got these sticks of dynamite and dying to light them  
God, don't fail me now  
Get thrown and you gon' get carried out  
To a hole where I know you won't be found  
Just face it, it's almost over now_

 _Don't even try to take this weapon from me  
I like you more and more the lesser you breathe_

 _I've come undone, I think I'll kill everyone_  
 _My, what have I done? Fuck it, let's kill everyone_  
 _I've come undone, I think I'll kill everyone_  
 _My, what have I done? Fuck it, let's kill everyone_

 _Oh no, here comes the riot  
Does everything have to resort to violence?  
If you think you can hide, go and try it  
Now let's let the fucking gun break the silence  
Close your eyelids  
Another shot and then here come the sirens  
I thought I told you to keep fucking quiet  
Somebody's dying, so come say goodbye, kids_

 _Don't even try to take this weapon from me  
I like you more and more the lesser you breathe_

 _I've come undone, I think I'll kill everyone  
My, what have I done? Fuck it, let's kill everyone  
I've come undone, I think I'll kill everyone  
My, what have I done? Fuck it, let's kill everyone_

Matt sat up and ripped the earbuds out. He grabbed his rifle and stormed out of the tent.

Winds and Mason had been in the tent keeping watch on Matt. They were all very concerned about him. Matt was starting to come unglued. They raced out after him.

Mason took hold of Matt's arm as Winds asked "Where you going Matt?"

Matt looked at the hand holding him still. He wrenched out of it. Matt staggered back at the force he had to use to get Mason to release him. His legs felt rubbery from lack of sleep. The dark circles under his eyes spoke volumes of his level of exhaustion.

He took three more unsteady steps backward away from Mason and Winds before he answered. He raged "I'm going to find Sam. Fuck this waiting. I'm gonna find him and I'm gonna kill whoever took him. I'll kill everyone that took him."

Winds saw Blaze and Patch coming up from behind Matt. Winds cajoled "Matt we feel the same way. But we are under orders to stay here. They have a unit looking for him."

Matt bellowed "It's not enough. We need to be looking for him. He's all alone. Going through who knows what. Alone. Not one word about his location. IT'S BEEN THREE WEEKS AND NOT ONE FUCKING WORD."

Blaze said "I just spoke with Plouffe again. He said he has analysts investigating every possible clue. Watching for back chatter. But says whoever took him is being silent."

Ripsaw headed over with the food he had gone to get for Matt. He wasn't sleeping and neither was he eating. Matt looked as if he had dropped ten pounds in the past few weeks. "Matt come back inside and eat something. Please."

Matt shook his head "Sam needs me to find him."

Patch walked up and put his arm around Matt's shoulder "What Blondie needs is you to be healthy when he returns. He's gonna be found. You need to take care of yourself so you are in shape to take care of him when he needs you."

Matt dropped to his knees. He let his weapon fall to the ground. Matt could not stop the tears he had been holding in for weeks. Huge tears rolled down as he dropped his chin to his chest.

Blaze and Patch crouched down on either side. Blaze put his hand on the back of Matt's neck and squeezed lightly "Come on buddy. Let's get you back to the tent. You need to rest."

As Patch and Blaze lifted him Matt did not resist. They held on to him as they guided him to the tent.

Mason picked up Matt's weapon from the dirt. He swiped at his eyes. Man the dust was making them water he lied to himself. But he knew he felt like the others. They were all thoroughly frustrated at being stopped at every turn and every request to go look for Blondie denied. The General must not give a damn.

One measly unit sent out to look for Blondie right after he was taken. It was a halfhearted effort at best and they only checked the surrounding area from where he was captured before they were recalled to base.

.

* * *

 _* Metallica lyrics are property and copyright of their owners. Hollywood Undead lyrics are property and copyright of their owners._


	3. Will's Friend, Whish - Crack & Gleason

**Will's Friend,** **Whish - Crack** ** & Gleason **

* * *

_**Four Weeks After Capture – General Braddock's Office – Ottawa**_

General Braddock paced his office. He needed to be in Kandahar. But these damned meetings were dragging on. He hated the political side of his job some days. William preferred to be closer to the action. Closer to the men that risked their lives. Boots on the ground in Kandahar got action when action was needed.

And action was needed NOW! He slammed his fist into the wall making a hole. He felt no pain. He was numb. William had been numb for a week now.

He had raged and nearly blown the roof off the building when he found out last week that his son was MIA. That they FAILED to inform him of this fact for THREE FUCKING WEEKS sent his blood pressure rocketing into the troposphere.

William only found out when the picture arrived. The same one of Samuel as a little boy that he'd been getting often since Samuel joined Special Forces. He had no damned clue what HB and HL and those numbers meant. None of the analysts were able to figure it out.

But the message on this picture was like the one he got when Samuel was in training. Instead of saying 'fly Sammy fly' this one said 'toy soldier fallen'. It was then that he contacted Colonel Sutton to determine Samuel's whereabouts.

He had decided long ago to take a hands off approach with Samuel while he was in the Army. Allow Samuel to become his own man outside his shadow. William knew what it was like to be in the shadow of a high-ranking father. His father, Brigadier General Arthur Braddock, had continually meddled in his Army career. He would not do that to Samuel.

So he had no clue where Samuel was when that picture arrived. William's longtime friend Colonel Tom Sutton had come unglued when he found out Samuel was MIA. Some god damned SNAFU with communication was claimed to be the cause that they were not informed.

How the hell that happened he was still trying to figure out. But more importantly he was trying to locate Samuel. He had five analysts assigned solely to looking for any trace of Samuel. No bodies had been found but that didn't mean he wasn't already dead.

But he refused to think Samuel was dead. He RIGOROUSLY REFUSED to accept that Samuel was dead. Someone had him. He resolved that no matter how long it would take he would FIND HIS SON!

William had been a bit surprised that Samuel's unit had not requested to go look for him. He thought Lieutenant Blain would surely request to go look for Samuel. Hell he was surprised that he didn't have a personal request from Matthew Hunter too.

Stalking over to the empty coffee pot he started to make another pot. He had been living on coffee alone for the past week. If he could mainline the stuff right now he would. William could not rest until his son was rescued.

There was a knock on his door and he called out "Come in." He was expecting Tom.

Colonel Sutton entered the room and saw the run down shape William was in. Tom could tell his friend had not slept more than a few hours at best in the last week. At this rate he was going to kill himself.

Sutton walked over to the coffee pot and said "Will I think you have had enough coffee. What you need is some rest."

William's eyes iced over and he glared at Tom. His voice hard as stone he said "What I NEED is for my SON to be FOUND."

Taking the packet of coffee grounds from his friend who was struggling to open it he laid it on the counter. Then he firmly gripped his arm and dragged William to the chair in front of his desk and pushed him down into it. Tom pulled the other chair close and put a hand on William's knee.

With deep concern Sutton said "You can't do any more than you are now Will. We have our best intel people on it. If there is any trace, even a hint of where Sam is they will locate it. Then we will send our best units to get him."

"We need to send units out searching" William declared.

Sighing Tom responded "You know that won't do any good. We have no idea where to look. Sam could be anywhere. It would just put those units in harm's way unnecessarily and will not help us locate Sam. You know that. It's just that you need some sleep to think rationally on this."

William leaned down, his elbows on his knees, his head in hands as he raked his fingers through his short blonde hair and squeezed his head. He stayed that way for a long time. William tried so hard to hear Tom's words and accept them.

Finally sitting up the General looked into Tom's eyes "Alright I'll rest but you promise me you will keep looking. I want resources on this twenty-four by seven. We keep two units in reserve so they can act immediately if even the slightest clue is found."

Seeing the intense pain and anguish in his friend's eyes Tom said softly but firmly "I promise. You should go home and sleep."

William shook his head "No I can't. I haven't been home since I found out. I can't face Yvonne. I can't tell her Samuel is missing and I have no idea where he is and if he is alive or …" William trailed off. He could not say dead.

"Doesn't she have a right to know?" Tom asked.

Glaring at Tom he said "I WILL NOT put her through the PAIN of NOT KNOWING. When I know what happened. When we find Samuel and know his condition then I will tell her. Not before."

Sutton did not agree but it was not his place to butt in. So he just nodded. William was so protective of his wife Yvonne. She was the sun and the moon to his friend. But he did not agree she needed to be shielded from all this. She was stronger than William gave her credit for.

Tom thought that if William would just tell her she could offer him some comfort and relief. This was a burden William shouldn't have to bear alone. But if he was resistant to sharing with Yvonne then the only other thing that came to mind was that Will needed to be closer to Samuel. General Badass would kick the search in high gear if he was closer to the situation.

Sutton offered "Go to Kandahar Will. I can cover the rest of the meetings for you here."

General Braddock closed his eyes a moment. He relied on Tom as his right hand man. Tom hated the politics more than he did. But Tom was willing to cover for him. Allow him to get closer to where Samuel was.

It would allow himself to distance himself from Yvonne too during this time. She would read him like a book if he went home right now. She would know something horrible happened. He could not for the life of him hurt her with the knowledge that their son was MIA.

Yvonne's health was his primary concern; her Chronic Fatigue Syndrome took a toll on her. And with all the years of pain after Sara's death and losing Samuel too the way they did after little Sara's death William just could not cause Yvonne more pain. He would wait until he had a definitive answer. Depending on what state Samuel was rescued in then he would decide when to tell her.

He stood and strode to the other side of the desk. Quietly he said "You're a good friend Tom. Thanks." Then he bellowed "Corporal Merrill."

His aide Corporal Merrill opened the door "Yes Sir?"

In his command voice General Braddock ordered "Get me on the next flight to Kandahar. Colonel Sutton will be covering the meetings. You are to provide him all the files necessary for those meetings."

"Yes Sir" Merrill said with a bit of nervousness. He closed the door. His hands shook. It had taken a lot of work to cover up the fact that the General's son was MIA for so long.

He had no clue how the General found out. But he had. Major Plouffe and his damned blackmail. Some days he wished someone would pay him to pop off Plouffe's bobble-head.

Merrill chided himself again. He should have been more careful. He thought he was but Plouffe found out his secret hobby. He threatened to expose his hobby of hired assassin. This position with the General afforded him the opportunity to travel all around and he got to collect his bobble-heads as he liked to refer to his kills.

But Plouffe found out and now he was stuck doing his dirty work for him. Keeping the General from finding out that his son was constantly deployed. He had nearly been caught early on when he changed the order for Sam to get into the Special Forces recruit class.

He had inserted the word 'percent' into the order. Making it read 'Braddock must be in the top five percent in all areas to be considered' instead of the normal in the top five of all areas.

Trying to redact and remove all the requests from Sam's unit to go search for him had been very difficult. One was extremely persistent. Master Corporal Hunter. He had to go carefully but was relying on Plouffe to handle the units and he would handle the General.

Now they were headed back to Kandahar. It would be more difficult to deflect those requests. The men might show up in person and make their request. That was one thing that irked him the most about General Braddock; the General's willingness to meet personally with unit men when they requested it. It was harder to keep that from happening when they were in Kandahar.

This situation could get out of hand very quickly if he was not careful. He would need to talk to Plouffe. They needed to make sure there were no loose ends that would unravel on them.

* * *

 _ **Eight Weeks After Capture – Terrorist**_ _ **Compound**_

Please just let me die Sam thought as the whip lashed his back again. His head hung limply down. Arms stretched out and tied to posts bearing the weight of his body. His legs unable to support him anymore bent useless and immobile. Even if his legs could support him his feet could not bear the weight with the fractures from the bastards stomping on them

The thin multi-stripped whip was relentlessly applied to him.

Whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack.

Sam felt the blood running down his back and down his legs. Why were they doing this? They never asked any questions. They just tortured him ruthlessly. The red-hot needles to the stomach was the worst. They burned so bad and he retched every single time.

Before the red-hot needles were inserted Sam was reduced to begging the man to stop with his eyes. His throat was too parched to even rasp out words. He reprimanded himself for falling for the caring pity act of the repulsive man every single time.

Sam felt his mind slipping away. He was rudderless. There was no relief. His unit and Matt were not coming to rescue him.

Whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack.

Hands released from his bindings he was falling. Face-planting in the dirt unable to stop his fall Sam wished he could just blackout or die. As he lay there his blood soaked into the ground. He was left in a heap for some time.

Sam barely felt the kicks to his back when they started up again. The pain of the whipping had gotten to a point that that even steel-toed boots just blended into the relentless pain. Their taunting words reverberated in his head, worthless, animal, pitiful, unloved, alone, forgotten, failure.

He begged in his mind to just die as his body was drug across the camp. The hot sand and rocks gouged deeply into his knees again opening old wounds and adding new ones. Would it be the needle room or left spread eagle in the sun? Sam was roughly tossed down and flipped on his back. It hurt too much to even groan in pain.

Spread eagle in the sun it was he thought at his raw and seeping wrists and ankles were tightly bound to stakes on the ground with rough rope. The sun was bright overhead. It hurt his eyes so he closed them. Sam was sunburnt in places that only people that lived the nudist lifestyle would ever be burnt.

Sam no longer blistered as bad, not to say he didn't still blister. But now it usually only occurred in his private areas. But he hated blisters because the sadistic bastards seemed to enjoy popping the blisters with needles. Sam felt the multiple streams of wetness hitting his body. It was revolting and degrading being used as their urinal but at least it didn't hurt like the kicking did.

The kicking started. He could not protect himself in any way being staked out. The blows from steel-toed boots landed everywhere. The blow to his head brought welcome oblivion.

* * *

 _ **Nine Weeks After Capture – Remote Special Forces Base**_

Major Plouffe was pacing. With General Braddock in country now he had to be very careful. Merrill had warned him he was coming several weeks ago. The analysts the General had working around the clock had located a clue.

Plouffe needed to send a unit out to check it out. He had no idea if it was the location or not. He doubted Braddock was even alive now but on the off chance he was Plouffe needed to send any unit except Blaze's. He was glad that Blaze's unit was already on a mission. They were due back today though.

He was trying to decide which unit to send. He wanted to send them to a false location but that could get back to the General. But how could he check out this location without getting caught if by some miracle Braddock had survived this long?

His thoughts were interrupted when Sergeant Gleason entered the tent. He looked at the Sergeant and said "What do you want Sergeant?"

Sergeant Gleason took a breath and held it a moment. He hated to be here and reporting this. But it was his duty. It needed to be investigated.

He had seen the devastation Braddock's capture had on his unit, especially Hunter. Last night he had been outside his unit's tent unknown to two of the men under his command. He was disheartened to hear them speaking so resentfully regarding Braddock. Murphy had a huge chip on his shoulders regarding Braddock. Why? Gleason wasn't really sure.

But Gleason had been shocked when he heard Murphy laugh and say "I sure got my revenge on him."

Then Travis replying "We sure did. Man your right hook to his temple had him knocked out cold."

Gleason knew he had to do something when Murphy then responded "No way in hell he would have been able to get away from those terrorists in his state. So much for all of Ripsaw's training. The asshat never belonged in Special Forces anyways."

Looking at the Major he said "I need to report a serious matter that needs investigation Sir."

Plouffe looked at Gleason "What matter Sergeant?" then motioned to the chair near his field desk.

Gleason sat "I have reason to believe that Corporals Murphy and Travis may have been responsible for Master Corporal Braddock's capture Sir."

Plouffe listened as Gleason explained what he overheard last night. The man looked totally distraught at the fact that two of his men could have done something that resulted in the capture of another soldier.

However Plouffe was reeling inside. If this made its way to the Colonel or to the General then Murphy and or Travis would sell him up the river for sure. He needed to take care of this for good and quickly. Could he arrange Murphy's and Travis' death? No, that wouldn't solve it completely.

He had nothing against Gleason but if anything happened to Murphy or Travis then Gleason could still talk. Murphy was unlikely to talk and neither would Travis if this did not come to light. It would mean court-martial and prison for them. His mind rapidly sought an answer. Then he had a thought. He could kill two birds with one stone.

Standing Plouffe said "You make a very serious allegation Sergeant. Not something to be taken lightly in the least. The timing could not be worse. I just received a clue to the possible location of Braddock. I was about to call you in and assign your unit. I would assign Blain's unit but they are not back yet and will be tired from their last mission."

Gleason stood "We should not wait Sir. They could move Braddock before we get there." This was the first clue to come in. Gleason felt he could redeem himself somewhat if he got Braddock back. He felt intense guilt over being in command when Braddock was captured.

Plouffe made a show of shaking his head "But what of your allegations? If they truly left a fellow soldier in harm's way deliberately I should not send them out to get him."

"I'm not sure it was deliberate. I hate to think the worst of people. What I heard points to them beating him up but the rest could be after the fact comments. Surely they had no clue terrorists would get Braddock. It was dereliction of duty at most and more likely just a spat between two men that needs to be resolved. I could watch them closely Sir. Perhaps you could talk to them and let them know they could redeem themselves" Gleason responded.

Putting on an act Plouffe nodded thoughtfully then said "As you say, they most likely did not intend for Braddock to be taken. Send them in. I will speak to them and let them know I am aware of their actions. Let them know that they will be court-martialed if they do not perform to the best of their abilities in this mission."

Gleason nodded "Thank you Sir. Now where what is the location?"

Pulling out the map Plouffe pointed out to Gleason the location. They commenced planning the search mission. When they were done Gleason left and went to find Murphy and Travis to send them to Plouffe.

Plouffe's conversations with Murphy and Travis would be nothing of the sort that he just told Gleason. The Sergeant would not be coming back from this mission alive. Neither would Braddock if he was indeed there and had survived this long. If none of them came back it would resolve all his problems.

Stopping outside Blaze's unit tent Gleason hesitated. He made a decision and popped into their tent. He found a piece of paper on the table and wrote a short note.

' _Clue came in while you were on a mission. Sent to find Braddock. Hope good news soon. Gleason.'_

Gleason smiled. He truly hoped he would have good news soon. He didn't think Hunter would make it much longer. The man looked like the walking dead lately.


	4. Murder, Any News, Forget My Name & Rogue

**Murder, Any News, Forget My Name & Rogue**

* * *

 _ **Nine Weeks and Five Days After Capture – Possible Location of Braddock**_

Sergeant Gleason drew in the dirt and explained "Based on Rivera's recon there are three buildings we need to check. Vinson you will be overwatch. Where do you want him Murphy?"

Pointing to the map Murphy said "This looks to be the best. The only problem is that there is a blind side on building three he will not be able to see."

Vinson looked at the map and said "How about here? It gives a little better coverage."

Murphy was pissed at the rookie's suggestion but didn't let it show. He needed Vinson in that position to do what he needed to do. That blind spot was the perfect place to do it. Instead Murphy said "Doesn't give you the widest range and you are too open."

Vinson didn't see it that way. But he was the rookie fresh out of training so he did not want to make too many waves. He nodded and agreed.

Gleason took over "Alright I'll take Rivera and the blind spot on building three. Murphy, Travis you take building two. Hicks and Lang you take building one. We need to go silent. Refrain from firing for as long as you can. Vinson we will be counting on you to let us know what's coming our way. Head off to your perch now. We will hold here until you are in place."

"Roger" Vinson responded.

When Vinson left Murphy pulled Gleason aside and convincingly lied through his teeth "Since building three is the blind spot let me take the risk with you. I have to redeem myself. What I did caused Braddock to be vulnerable and get taken."

Gleason nodded "Alright. I understand that. Rivera you go with Travis."

Rivera nodded wondering at the last minute change when he saw Travis smirk but followed orders. Vinson called in he was in place and it was all quiet and clear for them to move out. The unit moved out and split into two-man teams heading to their assigned buildings.

Murphy followed behind Gleason. He had orders from Plouffe. He had spoken to him alone after sending Travis out. This stronghold turned out to be perfect. It was lightly guarded; recon showed less than ten insurgents. They could easily handle that many without much loss.

If all went well only one of them would die today. Well two actually if Braddock was here and was actually still alive.

Gleason crouched down just before moving into the blind spot. He had his k-bar out like the rest. A chill went down his spine as he moved forward. This place seemed to well-known and open to hold a captive for two and a half months and no word of it coming out.

He turned to whisper his thoughts to Murphy and saw the knife plunging at him. He moved quickly but not quick enough. Murphy's blade found a home in his stomach.

Gleason countered and his knife embedded in Murphy's thigh to the bone. It stuck and as Gleason tried to pull it out Murphy buried his knife to the hilt up and under Gleason's vest. He yanked it out and then slit his throat. Gleason stared at Murphy as his life's blood quickly drained into the sand. He tried to say "Why?" as blood trickled out of his mouth

Murphy yanked out the knife from his thigh. He said "You knew too much. You shouldn't have been lurking outside the tent."

Lifeless eyes stared at Murphy. He wrapped a pressure bandage around his thigh and moved into the building to see if Braddock was there. Nope just one man was in the building. He snuck up behind him and snapped his neck. Fortune smiled on him. Now it would be easy to set this up to look like the insurgent killed Gleason.

With any luck when he fired his shot the insurgents would kill Braddock if he was here. Otherwise, if he was here Murphy would have to find a way to do it and make it look like the asshat died of injuries sustained from captivity. He could count on Travis to help with that if need be. Travis hated Braddock almost as much as he did.

Murphy dragged the man to where Gleason lay and staged a struggle. He put several knife wounds in the man.

When all was set Murphy called out over the radio frantically "I'm down. God it hurts. Gleason watch out!" He shot his gun at the already dead man. "Gleason's down. Medic. We need a medic. God Gleason … man hold on. Hold on."

All hell broke loose at the sound of the shot. The other unit guys fought with the other insurgents. Murphy shot dead two more as they came around on his side of the building. It was a short battle and within five minutes all eight of the insurgents were dead.

Lang, their medic found Murphy starting to apply a pressure bandage. Murphy was actually in the process of loosening it so it would appear he was just applying it.

As he knelt down next to Murphy Lang said "Let me do that. Hold on. Damn that's deep man. Were gonna get you home don't worry. Just be still." Lang set to work to stem the blood loss. He glanced at Gleason and wished there was something he could do to save the Sergeant but it was clear he was already dead.

Hicks came running up next taking in the sight "Jesus Murphy you okay?"

"Hurts like hell. Hit the bone. Tried to save Gleason. The insurgent came out the door and I was crouched down. Got him the stomach but then he came down hard with his knife in my thigh. Then he went after Gleason. I couldn't do anything. He slit Gleason's throat before I could pull my gun and get a shot off" Murphy told his fabricated tale.

Murphy then grimaced in pain and said "Check the buildings. We need to find Braddock. We need to complete our mission. Check everything. We cannot leave him in the hands of terrorists. Find him. Now!"

The men set out to check the buildings while Lang tended his leg. When Lang was done and the men came back reporting no sign of Braddock Murphy called in for an evac. Then he requested a small dose of morphine for the pain. Lang complied.

Murphy leaned back against the wall and relaxed. No Braddock. Good. Gleason was dead like what Plouffe wanted. Now he would surely get his promotion to Master Corporal.

He'd get promoted before that asshat Braddock. Braddock would die a Corporal. Murphy smiled, he would also get a Sacrifice medal for his thigh injury. No one would ever know what really happened here or how he was injured.

Vinson was scared shitless. He had gone to the location he had picked out instead of the one Murphy chose. He had disobeyed a direct order on his very first mission. His hands shook uncontrollable as he packed his gear and headed to the unit.

But that's not what scared him. Murphy did. Did he really just witness what he thought he witnessed? Did Murphy really kill Gleason in cold blood?

Would anyone believe him or would he be signing his own death warrant if he said anything. Vinson knew no one in this unit or the other units at the remote base. He didn't know who he could trust.

Vinson decided self-preservation was the way to go. At least for now he would keep what he saw to himself. When he determined who he could trust he would tell what he saw.

* * *

 _ **Ten Weeks After Capture – General Braddock's Office – Kandahar**_

Merrill knocked on the General's door and was instructed to enter. The General looked up at him and said "Any news on Sergeant Gleason's unit? Have they made contact?"

"Yes Sir" Merrill said with sadness that had the General stiffening. Merrill continued "Major Plouffe just sent word that Sergeant Gleason's unit returned to base. Unfortunately the Sergeant was killed in a hand to hand combat with insurgents at the location. I'm sorry but the unit reported that they found no sign of Master Corporal Braddock at the location once they cleared the area. I'm truly sorry Sir."

General Braddock steeled his reaction ensuring his mask was firmly in place. He said "Sergeant Gleason was a fine man. How did the rest of the unit fair?"

Merrill reported "Corporal Murphy sustained a knife wound to the leg Sir. I will have the full report of the incident from the unit statements available for you by tomorrow Sir."

Nodding the General said "Good. Dismissed."

Merrill left closing the door after him. The General looked in very bad shape. He was eating and sleeping but not much. This news had to hit him hard. Plouffe must be very happy at this development. The Major was sick man to want revenge on the General. The General wasn't a half bad man, he kinda liked him. Too bad Plouffe found out his secret hobby. At least he killed for a good reason, money. Merrill smiled knowing his retirement was gonna be so plush.

When the door closed William slumped into his chair. "Samuel my son I'm so sorry. We are looking. Please hold on. Please."

He dropped his head in his hands and wept. His son had been in the hands of terrorist for two and a half months now. What must Samuel be going through? These men, if he could call them that, were more like animals in their brutality.

William had seen enough of men that had been held captive. So many of the men were broken men afterwards. When they got Samuel back, he still vowed when not if, would Samuel be broken? Could Samuel survive months of torture and come out whole?

That he just did not know. Braddock's were resilient men but none had ever been quite tested like Samuel. His grandfather had been a POW in WWII but only for one month and they followed the Geneva conventions. Terrorists followed no such rules. They were savage and repugnant in their treatment of captives.

* * *

 _ **Ten Weeks After Capture – Terrorist Compound**_

It burned. It seared. Ever nerve was on fire as the electricity coursed through his body through the hundreds of needles in him. His body continued to jerk as the electricity was turned off.

How much more could his body take. Why couldn't he just die? He wanted to die so badly. The laughter followed the men out of the room as he was left lying staked out on the cold wet cement with hundreds of needles left in him.

Sam would cry if he had anything to make tears with. The coppery metallic taste in his mouth told him he had likely bitten his tongue again. He felt nauseous so turned his head to the side so he would not choke.

A little bile came up. That was all. When he finished retching he wondered why he bothered to turn his head. He could have ended this nightmare if he just choked on his own vomit.

But then again there really wasn't much that came up. It was unlikely he would choke on. Sam pleaded in his mind "Matt help me. Help me. I'm alone and I want to die. Help me. Release me from this pain. Help me die please."

Sam lay waiting for Matt to answer him. He heard nothing. Matt had left him. Sam could no longer hear Matt. Sam was utterly and completely alone.

His mind reeled at being left by Matt. The one person Sam thought he could count on to help him always. Matt had abandoned him when he needed him most. He needed to die. He needed help to die and Matt refused him.

Sam lost it and screamed out in his mind angrily "Go to hell Matt. If you won't help me die just go to hell. If you won't talk to me just forget I ever existed. Just forget my name. I'm sure my father has already. Just forget my name."

Unbidden Sam's mind conjured up one of Matt's favorite songs. He heard _'Forget My Name'_ by New Found Glory*

 _Tell all my friends I'm dead  
I'm leaving you, this time its for good  
Tell all my friends that I'm dead  
It won't be long before you forget my name _

_Can you tell  
That I'm losing myself  
I think I'm trying too hard to  
Let it show  
To let you know  
Don't trace your footsteps back to me _

_Cause I've been gone for a long time  
Waiting on the sidelines  
Hoping for a chance to play  
Well I thought I would never leave anything behind  
I also never thought I'd say _

_Tell all my friends I'm dead  
I'm leaving you, this time its for good  
Tell all my friends that I'm dead  
It won't be long before you forget my name _

_And if I had the chance  
To do it all again _

_I wouldn't expect anything less  
And if I had the chance  
To do it all again  
I wouldn't expect  
I wouldn't expect anything less _

_Tell all my friends I'm dead  
I'm leaving you, this time its for good  
Tell all my friends that I'm dead  
It won't be long before you forget my name _

_Forget my name_

* * *

 _ **Ten Weeks After Capture – Remote Special Forces Base**_

Matt sat on the floor of their tent. He was inconsolable. He stared at the note written by Gleason. That day a week ago he had hope. Gleason was going to bring back Sam.

But now Gleason was dead. Corporal Rivera had come to their tent to inform them that the unit had found no trace of Sam at the location and that Gleason died. Murphy had been injured but Matt could care less. That man had been a thorn in his and Sam's side since training.

Sam was gone. The only clue in ten weeks had been wrong. Sam was not there. The General refused every single one of his pleas to go out looking in known strongholds for Sam.

Matt removed his side arm from his holster. He couldn't do it anymore. His world was too dark without Sam. The others tried to help but it was a hole to deep and dark for him to crawl out of without Sam.

He had lived through nights where he and Sam thought they would die with all the bombs going off around them. Matt had endured heat, no sleep, injuries, little food and so much more. He had lost buddies. He had seen them blown up right in front of him. He had seen dead kids. He had seen a pregnant woman used as a suicide bomber at a roadside checkpoint.

Matt laid the gun on his lap and put his head in his hands as he cried. Matt could live with those memories. He could find the beauty of life even after seeing those things. But he could not see it now.

He could endure all the horrors of this place except one. Without Sam life meant nothing to him. His hand gripped the gun as it shook. Could he lift it and put an end to this?

Ripsaw and Blaze entered the tent. They froze. Oh god no Matt. Ripsaw motioned to Blaze to distract Matt as he backed out of the tent. Racing around the backside of the tent Ripsaw shimmied under it to come in behind Matt.

As soon as Ripsaw motioned to him Blaze said "Matt? You planning on cleaning your gun?"

Matt looked up with tears streaming down "No."

Blaze took a few cautious steps closer. He saw Matt's hand tighten on the gun. He held off moving forward any closer and said "What you doing with it out then?"

Ripsaw approached stealthily from behind as Winds, Patch and Mason came in the front of the tent. They stopped dead in their tracks. Shit. They all knew Matt was on the edge but none of them knew he was this close.

"I can't … It's just too hard … He's gone … It's so dark" Matt choked out.

Ripsaw made his move and in a split second had the gun out of Matt's hand.

Matt screamed "Nooo. No you have to let me. I can't. Sam's gone." He curled up on the ground sobbing.

The guys circled around him then sat down and all laid a comforting hand on Matt.

Blaze spoke for them all "Matt don't give up hope. Come on buddy. Blondie is out there waiting for us. He's gonna need you. You can't give up hope."

Matt sobbed "If he is still alive I don't feel it here." He tapped his heart. "He's gone. I can't hear him anymore."

Blaze raged "DON'T YOU GIVE UP ON HIM. WOULD BLONDIE GIVE UP ON YOU? WOULD HE LEAVE YOU ALONE? NO HE WOULD NOT."

Winds said angrily "We have not given up on Blondie. Why would you Matt? You know him better than we do. But I know wherever he is he is doing everything in his power to hang on."

Mason lifted Matt to a seated position and glared at him. His voice hard Mason said "You cannot take that way out. Blondie deserves better from you Matt. He would not want you to do this."

Patch raged at him "Can you imagine how Sam will feel when we find him and he found out you killed yourself? When he finds out you gave up on him and left him for dead? If the terrorists don't kill Blondie this certainly would."

The anger and words cut through Matt's depression. "Oh god what was I thinking?" Matt cried.

Blaze pulled Matt to him holding him close as Matt cried. He said softly "You weren't thinking. You were feeling. Let it out."

Matt cried for a long while. The guys sat still around him. Occasionally they wiped their eyes. Matt's pain was so deep.

Finally cried out, Matt pulled out of Blaze's arms. He wiped his face on his sleeve. He looked at the guys around him. Matt saw only compassion and no recrimination for his earlier action.

"I'm sorry" Matt said.

Ripsaw said "Nothing to be sorry for brother. We know Blondie … Sam is important to you."

Matt said "He's the first one that ever saw me for who I am. The real me. He saw right through my shields. He gave my life a purpose." Looking at the men that he trusted his life to, the ones that had just stopped him from making the biggest mistake of his life he made a decision.

"My name was not always Matthew Benjamin Hunter. I chose it when I was eighteen. I wanted to forget my past. I wanted to forget my name. I've never told anyone but Sam about my life growing up." Matt then opened up and shared with them his dark, abusive past. How he watched his father murder his beloved mother. How he was shuffled from one foster family to another, never staying more than a few months in any one place.

Then he shared with them how Sam and he had met in basic training. How they became friends. How over the years they became brothers with a bond stronger than any blood could forge.

Then he said "Sam had it rough growing up too. We all know how the General treats him. Sam joined the Special Forces for me. It was my dream not his. Sam would not have been through hell the past year and half if he had not joined for me. He knew what he was risking but I did not. I didn't think it would be as bad as he said. I mean how could someone reach the rank of General and treat his son that way?"

"I was so wrong. But Sam knew the risks and still took them. He risked his life so we could still serve together. So I would not be alone. Sam did it for me" Matt said with tears dripping again.

Wiping them away angrily Matt stood up and said "I can't sit and wait any longer. I have to go find him regardless of the ramifications. I'd gladly spent the rest of my life in a military prison if I can just find Sam."

The guys had listened to Matt's terrible childhood. Stunned at what Matt had endured. Shocked that with such a dark past that he was the one that always helped Blondie see the good in the world. How Matt brought Blondie back into the light after Blondie experienced hell on earth.

Winds stood up. With conviction he said "I'm with you Matt. We've sat on our asses long enough."

Patch stood up "Count me in. It's time to find Blondie."

Mason stood up "Analysts sitting at a desk will not find Blondie but we will."

Ripsaw stood up "I'm in. Blondie's saved out asses too many times for us not to go find him."

Blaze stood up. He looked at each member of the unit. Men he would give his life for in an instant. His brothers "Time to go rogue and bring our little brother home."

.

* * *

 _* New Found Glory lyrics are property and copyright of their owners._


	5. Direct Order, Blaze's Gut & I Walk Alone

**Direct Order, Blaze's Gut & I Walk Alone **

* * *

_**Eleven Weeks After Capture – General Braddock's Office – Kandahar**_

General Braddock was pacing while on the phone "… they went rogue. Last week. No contacts in the past seven days."

 _[Colonel Sutton was astonished. Never in his wildest dreams would he think Blain's unit would go rogue. Blain was to straight laced a soldier to allow something like that to happen on his watch. Sutton asked "Any idea where they are?"]_

"Not a damned clue. Major Plouffe said they snuck out at night under the cover of darkness on foot. Didn't take a vehicle but they raided the armory though. Apparently they are armed to the teeth with ammo and explosives" the General said.

 _[Worried about the repercussions for their best unit Sutton asked "What are you going to do?"]_

General Braddock stopped pacing and looked out the window. "This is a serious breach but I'm not sure. If they find Samuel I'll want to give them commendations. But I can't publicly support them going rogue. We'd lose all control if we condoned such activities."

 _[Will was right it was serious. He was also right that the men deserved commendations if they found Sam. Pacing his office in Ottawa Sutton asked "Did you talk to Plouffe directly?"]_

"No. He just sent a message that Merrill delivered" Braddock said the exhaustion clearly audible in his voice.

 _[Sutton knew Will was on the edge and needed his rational thinking more than ever right now. Few things in this world could tilt William's world so completely and Sam being MIA was one of them. Tom suggested "Write the order now and backdate it giving Blain's unit a direct order to search for Sam. The analysts have found nothing and you and I both know that boots on the ground is our only option now. Especially since the clue was wrong."]_

William snorted "I knew we were friends for a reason Tom. God I hope they find him. How would you handle Major Plouffe? We both know the Major is a stickler for the chain of command. He'll be pissed at me for going around him."

 _[Sutton laughed "Yeah a real stickler. He bypassed me with this little bit of information and went directly to you Will. I'd say our best option is offensive rather than defensive. I'll contact the Major and ask him why I'm hearing from you that he thinks the men went rogue instead of from him. Then when he bites back I can simply go with the 'it is a need to know operation'."]_

Pouring his fifth cup of coffee and it was not even noon yet General Braddock said "Thanks for being my rational brain the past weeks Tom. It's hard to think clearly right now."

 _["I understand Will. I'm sure that Blain and his unit will find him. We should have unleashed them long ago" Sutton responded with a slight despondent air to his words.]_

"I'm surprised they never requested to look for him. Why go rogue? I would not willingly order men into that type of danger but if they had volunteered I would have given my permission. Surely they knew that if they had requested it I would have listened to them and considered their plans carefully. That I would have made sure they were equipped appropriately" the General mused aloud.

 _[Sutton pondered those words and then responded "Maybe not. I recall you telling me about the call you had with Blain when Sam was first injured when the building blew. How you were so cold. You also have kept your distance from Sam."]_

William blew out a frustrated breath "You know why I do that Tom. Those damned photos. I can't let anyone hurt Samuel to get at me. The only way to do that is make it look like I don't care about him. I have too many enemies. I'm sure Samuel does too. Being the son of a high ranking officer tends to do that. Many people think you have gotten where you are because of your father."

Sighing he added "I mean I only have to look as far back as the recruit testing and his training to see he has enemies. Nealy and Murphy both went after Samuel because they thought he got special privileges because he is my son."

 _["I know Will. I do understand too. It's just that Blain and his unit don't understand. They see one side only. That side tells them you do not care. So they probably figured why bother asking since they were not directly ordered to go look" Sutton said sadly.]_

General Braddock slumped into his chair. Sutton had a point. But he could not go explaining himself to Samuel's unit.

First and foremost it was personal, family. Feelings for family were private. Family was where he was vulnerable. It was his soft spot. He could not risk his family by showing that to anyone except a select few men he trusted implicitly, members of his own old unit. That trust was forged under fire and was strong and true.

Secondly, he and Samuel did not get along. Every time he tried to do something to fix things between them it backfired on him. If he opened up to the unit it could cause unintended problems for Samuel. God he wished it was different.

William kicked himself for years. He should have listened to his brothers. He should have never gone down the same path in raising Samuel as his father did with him. It had such devastating consequences when Sara died. Their estranged relationship was his entire fault.

Yvonne still held hope that it could be fixed. She was the bright light in his life. He would cling to hope only because she held onto it so tenaciously. But for there to be hope they needed to find Samuel.

Lastly he was the General. It would not set the right precedent if he started explaining himself to the men. He was in charge and needed the men to follow orders without question regardless of what they felt personally about him. Lives depended on that.

He could not appear weak in front of them. Men needed a strong and capable leader otherwise it might have a negative impact at the wrong time. He could not risk men's lives by allowing himself to care what they thought of him personally. He was their General and that was all they needed to know.

William squared his shoulders and resumed the General mantle. He said firmly "Colonel Sutton I have ordered Lieutenant Blain's unit to search for Master Corporal Braddock. The orders were given directly to Lieutenant Blain on a need to know basis. Please inform Major Plouffe of such and remind him of the proper chain of command when reporting allegations such as a unit going rogue."

 _[Sutton smiled and responded in kind pulling on his Colonel persona "Yes Sir. Will there be anything else Sir?"]_

"Keep me informed if Blain should make contact. Inform the operators that any call from his unit is to be directed through immediately. Arrange transport to be on standby" Braddock stated.

 _["Wilco" Sutton replied. He hung up after the General did. His friend was in a very tough spot. He understood and wished he could do more to help. Sutton made the calls necessary to arrange things as the General had ordered.]_

William hung up and then leaned back in the chair. "Samuel your unit is coming son. They will turn over every rock to find you. I hope one day you will understand the course I took to find you. I love you son but I could not in good conscience order men into danger without a shred of evidence where you were. But now that they took it upon themselves to go I will support and protect them. They will not suffer any consequences for going rogue."

"Between you and me son I wish they had done it long ago. I'm sorry I failed to find you myself. It was not for lack of trying though son" He said then sipped his coffee.

Pulling out his wallet and then a picture of Samuel he whispered "Where ever you are son hang on a little longer. I know what you are made of. You are a Braddock. You are strong, resilient and above all loved and valued by so many."

General Braddock held the picture to his heart and closed his eyes. He drifted to sleep for the first time in two days.

* * *

 _ **Eleven Weeks After Capture – Somewhere in Afghanistan**_

The unit was huddled around a map discussing their next move. They had spent the week checking out multiple sites. The unit had quietly worked their network of known informants in each area.

Their recon was stealthy not wanting to bring unwanted attention to the unit. They had one mission only 'find Blondie and bring him home'.

Blaze pointed to one location "This stronghold is out of our way but I think we need to go there next. It's rumored to be one of Abdul Khaliq Mousa's locations."

Winds asked "Mousa?"

Blaze realized he may have over stepped. It was information that was classified at level five. He simply said "Need to know. But suffice to say suspected to be head of a very elusive terror cell but no real intel is available on him."

The men all nodded. They fully understood that Blaze could say no more.

Mason asked "Why there? It will take us about a week to get there on foot. If it's wrong that's a week we lost."

Blaze looked at the men "Rumor has it that he has taken soldiers before. Not just Canadian's. He's one sick bastard. They say he tortures them just for fun not for intel and most don't make it."

Taking a deep breath and blowing it out Blaze added "I have a gut feeling Blondie is there."

Matt and Patch both blanched at Blaze's words.

Ripsaw stood "Blaze I'd take your gut feeling over intel any day. Let's get going. Blondie is waiting for us to rescue him."

* * *

 _ **Twelve Weeks After Capture – Terrorist**_ _ **Compound**_

Sam was gasping for breath when the sopping wet towel was removed from his mouth and nose. The coolness had felt good for a moment until the water started pouring. The first few seconds he tried to swallow some. He always managed to get a little bit. It was the only water he ever got.

He was dragged off the reclining board and shoved to the floor. Sam lay there like a broken puppet, beaten, bloodied and not a piece of flesh left unbruised. He was worthless, unlovable, tainted and he should just die.

They grabbed his feet and dragged him outside. If he could he would have screamed in pain. But speaking was beyond him. Had been for so very long; months maybe; he'd lost count. He wasn't quite sure how long he had been in this endless cycle of hell.

The torture had no real purpose. Sam suffered so much excruciating, unrelenting pain, inflicted by the sadistic bastards. They taunted him telling him that they knew he was JTF2 but never asked for information. Just constant merciless, inhumane torture perpetrated for their entertainment.

Sam was alone here. Once he had thought that Matt, Blaze, Patch, Winds, Mason and Ripsaw would find him. But they had abandoned him.

Rightfully so too because he knew he was a failure for getting captured. No one cared whether he lived or died. Why should they? He was a worthless failure who should just die. No one would even bother to rescue him.

His arms were lifted as they chained him to the whipping posts again. Sam's legs hung limply all his weight and pressure of his body on his shoulders. There wasn't as much weight as when they first whipped him. He'd lost so much weight.

That would happen when given rancid slop only every few days. But what should a pitiful, discarded, unworthy animal expect. He didn't deserve anything better. He now accepted that and that he should be punished for just being born. He was told that so often it had to be true.

The beating commenced. Punches to the face, chest, back and stomach. His eyes were nearly swollen shut again. His wrists were raw and bleeding from the metal shackles that held him up. Sam tasted blood as the lacerations in his mouth opened yet again. He no longer spit it out. He was too weak. Instead it just dribbled out his mouth and down his chin onto his chest and to the ground.

Whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack.

Repugnant laughter rang in Sam's ears as the lash bit into his back again and again reopening old wounds and making new ones. That is if there was space that had not been opened before.

Whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack.

Sam tried hard to get his mind somewhere else; yearning to leave this nightmarish place of relentless pain. He found it harder and harder to do now. There was no place to go now that Matt had left him. He had not heard Matt for so long. He had to walk this path alone.

Music filtered in around him. Was he imagining it? He was no longer sure what was real and what wasn't. He could swear he heard music. He focused on the music instead of the whish crack of the whip.

Sam heard _'Boulevard of Broken Dreams'_ by Green Day*. If ever there was an anthem for his life this one fit. He concentrated on the words ignoring everything else around him.

 _I walk a lonely road  
The only one that I have ever known  
Don't know where it goes  
But it's home to me and I walk alone_

 _I walk this empty street  
On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams  
Where the city sleeps  
And I'm the only one and I walk alone_

 _I walk alone  
I walk alone  
I walk alone  
I walk alone_

 _My shadow's the only one that walks beside me  
My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating  
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me  
'Til then I walk alone_

 _Ah-ah, ah-ah, ah-ah, aaah-ah,  
Ah-ah, ah-ah, ah-ah_

 _I'm walking down the line  
That divides me somewhere in my mind  
On the border line  
Of the edge and where I walk alone_

 _Read between the lines  
Of what's fucked up and everything's alright  
Check my vital signs  
To know I'm still alive and I walk alone_

 _I walk alone  
I walk alone  
I walk alone  
I walk alone_

 _My shadow's the only one that walks beside me  
My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating  
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me  
'Til then I walk alone_

 _I walk alone  
I walk alone  
I walk alone  
I walk alone_

Whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack, whish, crack.

Sam could not take any more pain and blessed oblivion was creeping in as he thought he heard explosions.

.

* * *

 _* Green Day lyrics are property and copyright of their owners._


	6. Found Blondie, Blood Bath & It's Real

**Found Blondie, Blood Bath & It's Real**

* * *

 _ **Twelve Weeks After Capture – Outside Terrorist**_ _ **Compound**_

The unit had recon'd the stronghold. It was heavily guard with over fifty men. They had drawn out in the dirt what each had located and reviewed one last time the plan of their assault. It was going to be hard and fast in. Nothing would be silent about their entry.

They had set explosives with remote detonators on several exterior walls. One looked to be barracks that contained most the terrorists. That wall was loaded with explosives hoping to take out a large portion of the targets.

All of them had seen a bloody, severely beaten, naked man chained to a post getting whipped. What they did not know for sure was if it was Blondie.

From this distance the man looked nothing like Blondie. Not that they could tell much about the man's features from the amount of bloody and the state of his body. But even if it wasn't Blondie they would not leave a man in that condition. It was inhumane. Whoever it was would be rescued today.

Blaze looked at each man. He reiterated their plan "Ripsaw will set off the explosions when we are in place then take high ground. I will look for transportation if possible. Patch and Mason will go for the chained man then head out as quick as possible. Matt and Winds will provide cover for them. It is shoot to kill. No mercy. Watch each other's backs boys this is gonna be a blood bath since there is no way to stealth in and out."

They all rechecked there weapons and additional ammo. Mason pulled a pair of bolt cutters out of his pack. He planned ahead knowing that Blondie might be shackled and they might need to move very quickly. No time to pick locks. Mason shoved them in his belt so they would be handy quickly.

Winds looked to Matt who had paled when they saw the man in chains he asked "You okay to do this buddy?"

Matt looked at Winds "More than ready. They are going to pay for what they did to Sam."

"Might not be Blondie" Patch said trying to ground Matt for that possibility. He saw Matt was barely holding it together.

For himself, Patch was in two minds. Part of him hoped that mass of bloody pulp was not Blondie. He would never want Blondie hurt like that. But another part wanted it to be Blondie so badly. Patch wanted to find him and bring him home just like the rest of the unit.

Tapping his heart Matt said with passion "As bad as that man looks, I know in here it is Sam. They are going to pay for doing that too him. Patch I'm counting on you saving his life."

"I'll do my best Matt. You know that" Patch said as he clasped Matt's shoulder.

Blaze patted Matt's other shoulder "My gut says it is Blondie too. I don't want it to be, not like that, but I know it is him."

Ripsaw said "Then what are we waiting for?"

They set out. Blaze radioed that they were in place. Then they waited for the explosions.

Matt looked to the guys with queer expression "Is that Boulevard of Broken Dreams or am I hearing things?"

Patch said "I hear it too. Strange. Thought they hated everything western."

* * *

 _ **Inside Terrorist**_ _ **Compound**_

The walls of the buildings blew with resounding cascading explosions. The unit rushed in firing at will. The terrorists never knew what hit them. They were dropping like flies.

Men were scattering in every direction. It was chaos. The man with the whip dropped it and ran to one of several trucks as did several others. The unit was too busy dealing with those coming at them to go after the men in the trucks.

Blaze scanned to find a vehicle for escape. He honed in on one and fired at the driver of a truck loaded with six men trying to flee. He cut them all down in a hail of bullets without remorse. He ran for the truck and yanked the man out of the driver's seat. Blaze had to turn and fire at others trying to approach the truck.

Matt was focused on one thing only, make a clear path to Sam for Patch and Mason. His mind locked in kill mode and the lyrics to _Kill Everyone_ played solidly in his head.

He fired one perfect kill shot after another as the terrorists streamed out of the burning, smoke filled barracks. No mercy for these bastards. No mercy for those who had tortured Sam for three months.

Matt belted out part of the lyrics as he continued to fire mowing down every terrorist he saw "Don't even try to take this weapon from me. I like you more and more the lesser you breathe. Fuck it, let's kill everyone."

Patch and Mason raced toward the man hanging limply by his wrists. The closer they got the more their hearts broke. Patch reached out and checked for a pulse wondering if he was dead. He yelled loudly for the unit to hear "Found Blondie. He's alive."

Mason cut the chains then covered Patch as he lowered Blondie to the ground. "Can we move him?" Mason asked urgently as he killed three men heading in their direction with weapons drawn.

Taking quick stock Patch said "He's more dead than alive Mason. I'm afraid to move him but we have no choice."

Blaze called out "Patch I have transport. Bringing you a truck."

Ripsaw and Winds had made it to high ground and were taking out targets left and right. The two shared a look that said they needed to get out of here. It was clear they had miscalculated the number of men. It was nearer to eighty terrorists. They could not hold out against such odd.

Winds called out "We have to move out now. Nearly double than we figured. Ripsaw and I will cover while you get Blondie out."

Ripsaw saw Matt was cornered by ten and took aim as he said "Winds, Matt needs a little help."

The two of them took out the ten and three more that were sneaking up behind Matt. Then they turned their attention back to Mason and Patch's location providing cover. They saw Blaze coming with the truck as he drove with one hand and fired with the other.

Patch pulled out an emergency blanket and draped it around Blondie's ruined body. Patch shouldered his pack and switched to his gun. "Mason pick him up for me. Nothing I can do here. We have to wait until we are clear."

Mason took out another man then swung his rifle out of the way. He leaned down and as gently as possible lifted Blondie. "Jesus Christ he doesn't weigh anything now" Mason said. He had seen his ribs clearly and the kid had no meat on him.

Patch sent three men to burn in hell as they made their way to the truck.

Matt joined them and laid down cover fire as Patch jumped into the bed of the truck.

Mason handed off Blondie to Patch then jumped up in the truck too. He went to the front of the bed and crouched down.

Blondie was transferred back into Mason's arms. Patch then took up a position at the rear of the truck to cover Matt so he could get into the truck. "Blondie's secured. Let's get the hell out of Dodge Matt" he yelled.

Matt had gotten a closer look at Sam as they moved him to the truck. Fury unleashed he mowed down every man he saw. Matt threw a grenade into a group of five men. Then he hopped into the bed and stood with his rifle over the cab. He banged the roof to let Blaze know to move out. Then he began firing at those in the way of the truck. He missed not a single one.

Winds and Ripsaw moved down as the truck headed for the exit of the compound. On their way down, they both lobbed several grenades into doorways and windows. They met the truck just outside the stronghold compound. Ripsaw jumped into the cab and Winds into the back.

Once they were all in the truck Blaze drove like a bat out of hell. Everyone except Mason fired on those unlucky enough to decide to pursue them. Mason cradled Blondie the best he could shielding him from the possibility of stray bullets and the bouncing of the rough terrain.

Ten minutes out Blaze called out "Injury status?"

A round of "No harm" was heard.

Blaze could not believe that everyone got out of there without injury with all the bullets flying. Now they just had to get Blondie home. He punched the gas pedal and sped up.

* * *

 _ **Sixty Miles from Terrorist**_ _ **Compound**_

They drove until no one pursued them and then went on for another thirty minutes. Blaze found then a semi-defensible position and stopped. Mason laid Blondie on the bed of the truck now that it was stopped.

Patch immediately set to work starting and IV. Christ he was so dehydrated it was so hard to find a viable vein that would not collapse. He tried five times until he was successful. The others stood guard while Blaze pulled out the sat phone.

Blaze dialed and when connected he stated "Lieutenant Blain. I need to speak with Colonel Sutton."

The operator had been instructed that if a call came in from Blain, Simons, Shea, Hunter, Srònaich'O' Naoimhín or Preston he was to put it straight through regardless of the time of day and without authentication. The operator said "Putting you through directly."

 _[Sutton's home phone rang and he reached out sleepily to pick it up "Sutton"]_

"Blain here. We have Braddock. Need med evac now" Blaze said then gave their coordinates.

Blaze hoped that the Colonel would care enough about Blondie to send the evac now. He wished he could have called the General directly but that man could care less if Blondie lived or die. And he felt the man had been trying to kill his son all along anyways. There was no way in hell he was calling the General.

 _[Sutton nearly fell out of his bed as he sat up rubbing the sleep out of his eyes "Say again."]_

"We have Blondie. Need med evac now. He's in very bad shape" Blaze repeated more harshly than he intended.

 _["Hold while I arrange." Sutton quickly called the Air Commander and gave him coordinates. The evac helicopters had been placed on standby for a week now. Getting back on the line he said "ETA sixty minutes to your location. Is your position secure for that long?"]_

"Unsure. We left a blood bath at one of Mousa's suspected strongholds. Several escaped though. Low on ammo" Blaze reported.

 _[Sutton responded "Sending air support to cover you until evac arrives."]_

Blaze breathed easier "Thank you Colonel." He hung up and turned to Patch "Evac sixty minutes out Patch. Will Blondie make it two hours?"

Patch looked up at Blaze "He's made it this long. I won't let him go now Blaze. Not now that we found him."

Blaze nodded. Then he called out to Matt who was on the perimeter "Matt help Patch. I've got your position." Before he headed out he turned to Blondie and said "Hang on kid you're going home. We're taking you home." He winced looking at Blondie's face and body. What he went through was inhumane.

Matt arrived and looked to Blaze "I can guard."

"No I want you here. If Blondie wakes at all I want him to see you. Blondie needs to know you are here for him" Blaze said as he patted Matt's back.

Matt nodded and climbed up into the bed of the truck. He knelt by Sam and his heart broke. Silent tears fell. Sam was beaten so badly he was nearly unrecognizable. His hair was so dirty and matted with muck and blood it was no longer blonde. He was so very thin and every inch of his body was bruised and most of it was flayed open in thin lines.

Patch changed out the IV bag as he had the drip open wide. Blondie was so dehydrated. He was about to push the pain meds when Blondie's eyes flickered open.

Matt choked out "Sam I'm here. You are not alone anymore. We got you. You are going to be okay." Matt was afraid to touch him anywhere. Afraid to cause him pain.

Sam's swollen eyes blinked several times. He could barely see out of the slits. He was hallucinating. Matt was saying he was here. Matt came back? Why did he come back after all this time?

Matt had abandoned him. This was not real. Not real at all. He was still alone. His mind was playing tricks on him because he desperately did not want to be alone anymore.

Patch leaned in close "I'm taking your pain away Blondie. You are going to sleep. No more pain." He saw the confusion in Blondie's eyes.

Matt saw the same thing and said "I don't think Sam thinks we are really here. I want to touch him so he knows it is really us. That it is real. But where Patch? Where can we touch him without causing pain?"

The only place Patch could see that was available that did not look too bad was a small spot on his left arm. It was on his side. He laid his hand softly on Sam's left arm.

Patch lightly squeezed Blondie's left arm to let him know it was real and try to comfort him a little. "It's real little brother. We are going to take care of you now. You rest. You did your part. You survived. Let us take care of you now. Rest now." Then he pushed the pain meds and sedative combination.

Sam felt a soft squeeze on his arm. The voice and face was Patch. It felt so real for a hallucination. Sam wished it was real. He wished his brothers had come to rescue him and to take his pain away. But wishing it did not make hallucinations real.

His eyes grew heavy and he could not keep them open. Sam let them close as he felt himself slip into the relief of blackness. As the blackness took him Sam thought maybe this time the bastards would just let him die. Please let him die this time.


	7. Favor, Solidarity, Punished? & Broken

**Favor, Solidarity, Punished? & Broken**

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Office – Kandahar**_

The General was finishing reviewing the report from Gleason's unit again. Something just didn't not sit right with him about it. But he was damned if he could find anything to support his gut feeling. Everything looked to be in order by Murphy's account but it still niggled at him.

Gleason was a fine man and he hated losing him in an effort to find his son. The clue had iffy at best but it was the only one they had gotten in ten weeks so he had to act on it. It was sheer bad luck that they had been in a blind spot from over watch when the attack happened.

His phone rang and he answered "Braddock"

 _[Sutton could not suppress the happiness in his voice "They got him. He's in bad shape but he is alive Will."]_

There was no mistaking who the him was. General Braddock swallowed a lump and could only get out "Details?"

 _[Pacing his home study Sutton said "Blain called. Found him in one of Mousa's suspected remote strongholds. I sent air support to watch them until med evac arrives. Should get to them in fifty minutes. We will need to send in a recon team. Says it was a blood bath."]_

General Braddock listened to the sketchy details then he asked "The unit? Any causalities or injuries?"

 _["Unknown. Blain did not elaborate" Sutton answered. Damn he forgot to ask Blain that he was so surprised they found Sam.]_

Braddock said "I'll notify the base hospital so they will be prepared. Thanks for everything Tom."

 _[Sutton sighed "Anytime Will. What are friends for if you can't lean on them for help in trying times? You'd do the same for me in an instant. I instructed the Air Command to notify you when they pick them up and when they land at the base. If you need anything more call."]_

William responded "Thanks again Tom. I'll take it from here. You get some rest. It's the middle of the night in Ottawa." He heard Tom chuckle and say something mumbled about it wasn't him that needed the rest then Tom hung up.

The General hit the intercom and said "Corporal Merrill get me Dr. Jasper Parker on the line." He then stood and looked out into the morning sky. He had some work to do before they arrived.

His phone rang and he picked it up "Braddock."

 _[Jasper answered "I was told you needed to speak with me General."]_

Sitting back down but still staring at the blue sky William said "Jasper I need another favor."

 _["Anything. What do you need?" Dr. Parker said.]_

"They are brining Samuel in. ETA is about an hour and a half. I'm not sure what condition he is in but it is bad. Expect anything. What I need from you though is that Samuel gets moved to that special room you have at the hospital. The one with the observation window" William stated.

 _[Jasper cringed at hearing Samuel was being brought in, he like the kid. He had first treated him when Sam was only thirteen and ill with Paratyphoid fever. Dr. Parker answered "If his injuries allow it. It is equipped similar to an ICU but you know that we use that room only for mental evaluations."]_

Braddock ran his hand through his hair in frustration "You have grounds then if anyone questions your decision to put him there. Samuel was held captive for three months. It's the only way I'll be able to be close to him Jasper. He's gonna need his unit close after an ordeal like that. I want to make sure they have full access to his room too. No restrictions."

 _["Three months. My god Will. Yes I'll do everything I can. Perhaps I can put one restriction on. An hours' time each day so that you can visit him" Jasper offered.]_

It was so tempting to just say yes but instead William said "Let's play that by ear Jasper. You know I want to visit him but I have to do what is best for Samuel right now. Unfortunately you know our history. Me being there might not be the best thing. No telling how they screwed with Samuel's mind."

 _[Dr. Parker knew full well their history. He said "Okay Will. We do this your way. I'll call you as soon as I can after taking care of Samuel."]_

"Thanks Jasper. I'll be waiting to hear from you" the General said then hung up.

* * *

 _ **Base Hospital – Kandahar**_

The unit had arrived over five hours ago. None of them could sit for more than a few minutes at a time. The wait for the evac, the flight back and the wait in this room had seemed endless.

Before the evac arrived Patch had cataloged so many wounds and made copious notes for the doctor. Blondie's chest and back were covered in thin gashes from a whip. His body was littered with small puncture wounds. Patch said looked like needle marks. There wasn't a part of his body that did not have those marks on them. His stomach was the worst with small circular burn scars old and new.

Patch had determined at least five ribs were busted up as well as fractures to his feet and arm. His face was a bloody mess. His entire body was so discolored with many layers of bruising and covered in blood fresh and dried that it was hard for Patch to tell at first that Blondie was also sunburned front and back. Blondie was more dead than alive.

Matt stopped pacing and looked at the doctor when he entered the room. His breathing stopped too at the look on his face. All the guys gathered around Matt putting a hand on him to support him as well as themselves.

The connection between the seven men had been forged deeply now. What hurt one, hurt all. Each would give and draw strength from each other.

Dr. Parker had never seen anything like it in his entire time as a doctor and he had seen some horrific things. He tried to put on his professional mask. But that was hard to do when you could still see in your mind the beautiful little boy the mass of pulp used to be.

It had taken them hours to painstakingly clean all his wounds and thoroughly assess his condition. Steeling himself to face his unit mates Dr. Parker took a deep breath. He knew each and every one of them because he treated them after their plane crashed.

He settled his gaze on Matt. He knew he and Sam were best friends. Dr. Parker began "Sam is in surgery now with two surgeons working on him. Three of his five broken ribs need surgical repair. The general surgeon will take care of that as well as setting the bones in his feet and his right radius. A facial plastic surgeon will be taking care of Sam injuries to his face. He will perform rhinoplasty to repair his broken nose as well as repair the fracture to his maxilla."

Matt asked "Will he make it?"

Nodding Dr. Parker said "He's a fighter. I won't lie. Sam is not out of the woods. There is still the threat of infection. He has a long road to recovery. It will be painful and require painful treatments and therapy. Sam will need to move to keep scar tissue from developing and limiting his movement due to the lashings. In due time, I believe he will make a full recovery of the physical wounds."

Looking at each of them he sighed then said "But it is the invisible wounds that may or may not heal. Being held captive and tortured for so long will have an effect on him. We will do what we can here. But Sam is going to need those that care about him around to heal from those wound."

Matt said "We will be there for Sam."

"Good. When he is out of surgery and recovery we will be moving him to a private room. That will be in six to eight hours. Given the situation I am authorizing all of you to come and go as you are able to. There will be no need to adhere to the visiting hours. The nurses will be informed. Sam will be sedated for at least the first twenty-four hours. If you have no questions I'm ordering that you all get cleaned up, get some food in you and some sleep" Dr. Parker concluded.

The men all shook their heads. No questions. Dr. Parker headed out of the waiting area.

Blaze instructed them "You heard the doc. Hit the showers, grab some food and hit the racks. I will be with you all shortly. I need to report in to the General."

Winds said "I'm going with you. I'm not allowing you to take the blame for us going rogue."

Mason, Ripsaw, Patch and Matt all looked at Blaze too. Matt stated for the group "We all go together."

Blaze shook his head and said "What if the General wants to throw us in the brig. No one will be here for Blondie."

Mason looked at Blaze "If he is going to throw us in jail then he will simply arrest us from our bunks if we don't go with you. Better that we show a solidarity."

Matt said "I can always send a message to Buzz and Dutch. Sam knows them and they would come if we cannot be here."

Ripsaw agreed "Mason is right we need a solid front. If it's gonna happen it will happen. We stick together brother."

Patch took a deep breath "Let's go get this over with."

The six men circled together and each put a hand out. One on top of another. Firmly they said as one "Deeds not Words. Solidarity."

They separated and strode with purpose out of the hospital to face the General and whatever repercussions came from their actions to rescue Blondie.

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Office – Kandahar**_

General Braddock just got off the phone with Dr. Parker. He could not wait to get to the hospital to see Samuel. Jasper said he would hold Samuel in the recovery room until he was able to get there and spend some time alone with him. Dr. Parker would call back after Samuel was out of surgery and ready to be seen.

He leaned back in his chair. He would see Samuel first then he would decide when to call Yvonne.

His intercom buzzed and he pushed the button "What is it Corporal?"

"General Braddock, Lieutenant Blain and his unit are here and requesting to see you Sir" Merrill said. He looked at the filthy men and wanted to hold his nose against their body odor. They were rank smelling and he wanted them out of the office.

"Send them in" he ordered and then stood behind his desk and donned his blank mask. What were they doing here?

The unit walked in and lined up. Each came to attention and saluted. General Braddock returned the salute. He took in their appearance. The men were battle weary, dirty from two weeks out in the field looking for his son. They looked exhausted and were likely hungry.

He was looking at six honorable men that went above the call of duty. Men that had risked all for his son. General Braddock wished he could profusely thank them for what they had done. Instead he waited for Blain to speak.

Blaze stood tall and squared his shoulders "Lieutenant Donald Blain reporting Sir. I am prepared for any consequences you see fit for going absent without authorization. I take full responsibility for my entire unit Sir. The men were under my command and followed the orders I gave them."

Winds turned to Blaze and blurted out "Like hell you will Blaze. We each went of our own accord." Turning back to the General he stated "Corporal Nathan Simons reporting Sir. I am prepared for any consequences you see fit for going absent without authorization."

Ripsaw stated "Master Corporal Richard Preston reporting Sir. I am prepared for any consequences you see fit for going absent without authorization."

Mason stated "Master Corporal Murchadh-Ailpein Srònaich'O' Naoimhín reporting Sir. I am prepared for any consequences you see fit for going absent without authorization."

Matt stated "Master Corporal Matthew Hunter reporting Sir. I am prepared for any consequences you see fit for going absent without authorization."

Patch stated "Master Corporal Jim Shea reporting Sir. I am prepared for any consequences you see fit for going absent without authorization."

General Braddock knew he liked this group of men. Such solidarity. This was one of the reasons this unit was his best unit. He suppressed a smile.

William liked how they all claimed responsibility for their actions. He said "At ease men."

All of them went to parade rest.

The General then stated in his command voice "Going rogue is a serious offense that cannot be allowed to happen. It undermines the chain of command and could have serious repercussions. It is a good thing that to everyone outside this office you were all under direct orders from me to search for Master Corporal Braddock."

He waited to see his words sink into their tired minds. The jaws started to drop. William suppressed another grin.

Then he continued "However to those of us in this office we know the truth. It cannot go unpunished. However, your service records all indicate stellar performance. We have invested a lot in your training and the Special Forces and JTF2 cannot afford to lose men of your caliber. I believe that you all can be rehabilitated and there will be no repeat offenses."

"Therefore, effective immediately you are all considered off mission rotation for the foreseeable future. You will have no missions until I deem you are rehabilitated. You are all confined to this base. You are free to do as you please except for four hours each day. Those hours will be spent in physical training on the course or at the gun range so you remain in top condition."

Taking a breath he continued "You are not allowed to divulge to anyone the true reason for your continued presence on base. To anyone that asks you are on rotational leave. If there is a future occurrence I will throw the book at you and you will likely see time in prison. Do I make myself clear?"

A chorus of "Yes Sir" came from the unit.

Then General Braddock couldn't help himself as he said "You all did our motto proud. Deeds not words. You are dismissed."

* * *

 _ **Unit Barracks on Base – Kandahar**_

All of them had showered and eaten in the mess hall then came back to their unit barracks. They were laying on their bunks each still stunned by the General's words. None knew quite what to make of it.

Patch said "We are being punished but it is not a punishment. It confuses me."

Ripsaw said "Maybe he does care about Blondie. I mean now we get to be there for him. At least for a little while. Who knows what the General means by the foreseeable future."

Matt shook his head "No he doesn't care about Sam. This is him covering his ass. We did what he should have ordered long ago. I mean he put it out there that we were under orders. Sure us going rogue could hurt us but he had more to lose. He'd look bad if a unit went rogue under his command."

Winds added "Matt's right. This isn't about us or Blondie. This is about General Badass saving face. Now he has a feather in his cap because he can say he ordered the search that found a soldier held captive."

Blaze listened to all of it. He came to a conclusion and stated it "It doesn't matter why the General did it. The fact of the matter is that we are able to be here for Blondie. I suggest we all get a few hours of sleep then head back to the hospital before Blondie wakes."

* * *

 _ **Two Weeks Later – Base Hospital**_ _ **– Sam's Room**_

Sam woke slowly. The first thing he noticed was that he was not in significant pain. He felt a dull ache all over but not the intense stabbing pain he had felt for so long.

Next he heard a steady soft beeping sound. Then the smell came to him. It was not the fetid smell of his cell. He was confused.

Blinking his eyes open he found they opened all the way and were not little slits. He was staring at a ceiling in a dim room.

Matt nudged Blaze when he saw that Sam was waking. It had been two long weeks. His body had been so depleted that Dr. Parker said it needed the sleep. He reassured them that Sam was not in a coma, only sleeping. That Sam would wake when his body was ready. They had all sat vigil with him taking shifts.

They rose and came to his bedside slowly so as not to spook him.

Sam heard a sound and tensed. His eyes looked left then right then left again. They stayed left. Sam licked his lips and tried to speak "Y … you … le ft … me … al … alone."

Matt's heart dropped. Tears welled. He gently took Sam's hand in his "I'm here. I'm so sorry you were alone so long Sammy. I wanted to be with you."

Blaze poured a glass of water and put a straw in it. Reaching out slowly he placed one hand behind Blondie's head and lifted slightly as he put the straw near Blondie's mouth "Drink Blondie you sound dry."

Sam swallowed a few sips of water. The first in so long that he got to actually drink. He drank more greedily before it could be taken away.

Blaze said "Whoa slower kid. There is more but it's the first you've had for a while. Slowly." As Blondie slowed down he said softly "That's it nice and slow. You can have all you want."

Sam finished the entire glass of water. Blaze lowered his head to the soft pillow. It wasn't hospital issued. It was too soft. It felt good.

He looked around the room and then at his arm and feet. They were in casts. Sam tried to lift his uncast arm but he was too weak.

Matt and Blaze watched quietly as Sam took inventory of himself and his surroundings. There was no need to rush him. They would go at his pace.

"Where?" Sam rasped a little less hoarsely. His throat felt strange speaking.

Matt answered "You are in the base hospital."

"How Long?" Sam asked.

Blaze said "You've been here two weeks."

Sam shook his head slowly "No how long?"

Matt understood "Took us three months to find you Sam. Three fucking months. I'm so sorry."

Tears filled Sam's eyes. Tears he was unable to cry for so long being so dehydrated. They coursed down his cheeks. He choked out "You left me. You wouldn't talk to me. You wouldn't help me."

"I'll help you now. I'm here. I'll help you with anything you need. Anything. Just ask" Matt cried.

Sam rasped out despondently "I can't take any more pain. I know that I deserve to be severely punished for being such a worthless unlovable failure but please I need to die. Help me die."

Matt blanched his eyes wide as he looked at Sam shocked beyond words. Sam was broken. Those bastards broke Sam. His heart shattered. How was he going to bring him back to the beauty of life?

Blaze wanted to rage. Rage loud and long. What the fuck did they do to Blondie's mind?

.

* * *

 _ **AN:**_ _Now back to normal speed of posting a story. This was originally going to the 'R' for Alphabet Injuries but I thought it deserved to be it's own stand-alone story (since it was approaching 20k words and was not completed). This is as far as I got so posted each chapter for your enjoyment. Now to finish the story with his road to recovery._

 _And for those wondered, no I have not abandoned You Have Always Been Loved. It is better for me to have more than one story going at once so when writer's block hits I can focus on something else until it clears._


	8. Father's Fear, Plouffe's Meltdown & Poke

**Father's Fear, Plouffe's Meltdown & Poker Face **

* * *

_**Base Hospital – Observation Room**_

William stood in the observation room. For the past two weeks he had ventured into this room every single night. Jasper had moved a reclining chair in here because he refused to leave at night. Not that he slept much but at least it was more comfortable than the hard plastic chair.

The first night he sat here in the more comfortable chair he had arranged for a soft pillow for Samuel. He had watched as Sam became restless in his sleep. Samuel winced every time his head moved on the stiff plastic hospital pillow. It was a small thing he could do to provide some comfort for his son since he could not be beside him.

He yearned to be at Samuel's bedside. Seeing him in the surgical recovery room damn near killed him. William felt his heart ripped right out of his chest. He vowed that every single animal that had been involved in his son's torture would be hunted down and killed.

The recon unit found enough evidence in that stronghold to identify some of the men. They found a few still alive and they were being interrogated for information. One had given up some information. The man did not know much other than the main abuser was not among the dead in that stronghold.

General Braddock was sure the interrogators at Guantanamo would get the information needed. The sharing of information with his U.K., U.S., Australian and French counterparts indicated that this torturer fit the MO of one that had targeted members of their militaries also. None of their men were found alive.

William saw Samuel starting to wake and Matt and Blaze moving toward the bed. He flicked on the switch to hear what was being said in the room. Hands pressed to the one way glass he held his breath to hear his son speak.

He listened and he crumbled to the floor when he heard Samuel rasp "I can't take any more pain. I know that I deserve to be severely punished for being such a worthless unlovable failure but please I need to die. Help me die."

Tears welled in his eyes. No. Oh god no. His son wanted to die. Months of torture had broken his son. His son thought he was worthless and unlovable. Shades of Sara's death closed over him followed by the abuse Samuel endured at the hands of Dupont when Samuel was eleven.

His boy had endured so much tragedy in his short life. God dammit! How could he help his son? William sat on the floor with his head in his hands crying for his son. For all the pain he endured. For all the pain he would endure in his recovery. He wanted so much to take all his pain away.

Fear took hold. Would his son follow through? Would he actually try to commit suicide? He could not let that happen.

He stood and looked into the room again. Samuel had fallen asleep. Matt was in tears. Blaze was attempting to console him. Oh Christ what was he going to do?

William looked around that room and fear seized him again. His Special Forces trained eye surveyed the room carefully. Too many. Way too many ways Samuel could kill himself in that room. It had to be stripped down.

He placed a call to Dr. Parker and explained what he needed him to do. Then he said "I want a dedicated suicide watch on Samuel twenty four by seven. Turn on the camera in that room and have it monitored at the nurses' station."

When he hung up he went to the sink and splashed water on his face then dried it. Returning to the window he saw that Blaze and Matt had left and Patch had taken up watch.

* * *

 _ **Base Hospital – Sam's Room**_

Patch sat quietly watching the regular rise and fall of Blondie's chest. Blaze told him what Blondie had said when he called him and asked him to come take over for him and Matt. That he needed to get Matt out of the room because he was falling apart.

Those words chilled Patch to the bone. He went to Blondie's bedside and placed his hand on his left arm and squeezed lightly. He whispered "Blondie you are not worthless and unloved. Quite the opposite little brother. Be strong. We will help you through this. I will make sure you feel very little pain. I promise you."

The door opened and two orderlies and Dr. Parker came in. Jasper looked at Master Corporal Shea and thought he'd make a damned fine doctor. He nodded to Patch and then to the orderlies he said "Get to it."

Patch watched as the orderlies began stripping things out of the room as Dr. Parker began checking on Blondie. He asked "What are you doing?"

Dr. Parker stopped and answered "I understand Braddock woke and spoke of wanting to die."

Patch wondered if Blaze had informed the nurses. It would make since to let them know Blondie woke up and what occurred. He nodded.

Jasper continued "We are putting Braddock on suicide watch." Pointing to the camera he said "The camera has been activated. It is visual only, no sound. It will be manned twenty four by seven at the nurses' station. I could use your help and that of your unit."

"What help do you need?" Patch asked.

Lifting the bandages on Braddock's chest and checking for infection he replied "A few things. First we need your trained eyes to sweep this room for things Braddock could use to injure himself with. We will remove them if not medically necessary. Secondly, since we only have visual and you men are in the room with him, please communicate to me any escalating concerns."

Lowering the bandage liking that he did not see any infection Dr. Jasper looked Patch in the eye and said "I would normally assign a psychologist in a case like this. However I do not believe that would work with Braddock. You are all trained in how circumvent their methods. I believe that Braddock would easily fool them."

What Dr. Parker didn't say is that he knew Sam's history and knew without a doubt that no psychologist would get Sam to talk. He would clam up in an instant. He had seen it time and again when Braddock was just a boy. Sam's best bet was to have his buddies close by. Someone he trusted. Sam did not trust psychologists.

Patch asked "What do we do?"

Jasper sighed "Just be here for him."

"That's all. Is there nothing else we can do?" Patch asked as his mind raced thinking that surely they should do something. Doing nothing seemed so wrong to him. Physical wounds were easy to see and he knew how to treat those. But this, this scared the hell out of him.

Sam's eyes fluttered open. He heard voices and he tensed until he recognized it was Patch's voice.

Dr. Parker saw Sam's eyes open and said "Welcome back young man. Started to think that you might be Rip Van Winkle. How is your pain level?"

Sam shifted his gaze from Patch to the doctor. He knew Dr. Parker. This was the doctor that helped Patch find the right pain meds for him. Sam answered "Doe … sn't" Sam stopped and licked at his lips. His mouth felt cottony.

Patch poured water into the cup then picked up the cup of water and put the straw to Blondie's mouth. Sam drank a little bit.

General Braddock was watching in the observation room. He listened intently to hear what Samuel was going to say.

Sam closed his eyes and said "Doesn't matter. I'll be dead soon. No reason to waste it on me."

Seconds later General Braddock stormed into Samuel's room. Ice cold eyes glared at his son. His voice cold and commanding "Master Corporal Braddock you are a soldier. You are a Special Forces soldier. You were trained better than that. Suicide is the coward's way out. I will not have a soldier under my command committing suicide. You will buck up and deal with this. We have invested too much in your training. You will not commit suicide. THAT IS A DIRECT ORDER SOLDIER!"

He met his son's eyes. There was a glint of something in Samuel's eyes. Anger maybe. William would take anger. Anger was better than total defeat. If Samuel was angry with him and could focus on that then he would not focus on suicide. Anger could open other emotions.

William hated to do this. To order him but he could think of nothing else. He hoped Samuel would response to orders like he always did, follow them. He had to save his son from committing suicide. He prayed it would work.

When Samuel did not response William coldly asked "Do I make myself clear soldier?"

Sam was laying rigid in bed as close to attention as he could manage as the General dressed him down. It was an ingrained habit. God dammit he was ordered to remain in pain. The General did not care how much pain he was in. All he cared about was that he had invested too much in his soldier. He cared only how it would look if he committed suicide. He never cared about him as a son only as a soldier.

Well fuck him ten ways to Sunday Sam thought. This was one god damned order he was going to disobey. But he answered as expected "Yes Sir."

Patch stood stunned, completely and utterly stunned. How could the General be so cold and unfeeling toward his own son? My god! Ordering him to buck up and deal with it like it was something trivial. Ordering Blondie not to commit suicide. Holy hell! Well he didn't want that either but it was because he cared for Blondie not because he was a soldier who they invested training in.

Patch watched as the General nodded once then turned and left the room briskly. Not a kind word or gesture. Not a simple how are you doing son? Nothing but ice cold. Poor Blondie.

They all knew that the General was horrible to him and treated him badly sending him out on mission after mission. But this? Jesus H. Christ. He never in his wildest dreams expected the General to be so unfeeling and cold toward Blondie.

Hell he had treated the unit better than he treated his own son. His own flesh and blood. Patch turned to Blondie and placed his hand on his left arm and squeezed lightly trying to comfort him.

Patch said "Blondie your brothers, we care for you. We are here for you. We promise not to leave you. We have your back."

Softly Patch asked "Injury report?"

Sam looked at Patch and the concern in his eyes. The hand on his arm felt nice. It was the first time in so long someone touched him without causing pain. Sam answered "Almost dead, fine, level ten."

His actual level was seven but he wanted to escape from the pain of being a complete failure. He was too weak to move at the moment so he could not successfully end his life. He would escape into oblivion until he was strong enough to end it.

* * *

 _ **Base Hospital – Observation Room**_

The General made it back to the observation room just barely before his tears fell. My god! What did I just do?

He was about to crumble into the corner of the room when the observation room door opened and nearly slammed shut. He quickly wiped his eyes before turning around.

Dr. Parker kept his anger on tight rein as he hissed out "What the hell did you just do William? I could fucking flay you alive for those fucking words."

Pointing with is arm straight out to the window into Sam's room he continued as his voice raised "Your son is in there in a vulnerable state. How dare you barge in there and order that boy to buck up. Do you have any god damned idea how much pain that boy is in? Both physical and mental. You fucking tell him to buck up!"

Jasper walked in a frustrated circle as he ranted at his friend "You tell him not to commit suicide because you fucking invested in his training. How much of fucking cold bastard can you be? That boy needs comfort and to be shown he is loved and valued. NOT that he is some fucking tool to be used and abused."

Standing firm and rigid Dr. Parker assumed his most commanding voice "That soldier is in my care now. You may see him from the observation room only. However you are NOT allowed to speak to him or enter that room under any circumstance. If you so much as say one word to him or step foot in that room I will have you brought up on charges."

Then shaking his head Jasper said in disbelief "I thought you loved and cared about Sam."

William sank into the chair. He had just screwed up again with Samuel. He hung his head "I do. You know I do. When Samuel said 'I'll be dead soon' I just reacted. I had to save him. All I could think is that Samuel always follows orders. Always. It's an ingrained behavior with him. I had to cut through."

Jasper pulled the plastic chair in front of William and sat heavily. He said sadly "You cut through but you cut too deep Will. Too deep. I despair for you ever reestablishing a relationship with Sam now. That was too cold Will. Too deep and too cold."

William put his head in his hands and said quietly "If it saves Samuel's life it will be worth it. I cannot lose him. If I have to watch his life from the sidelines at least Samuel will have a life."

Putting a hand on William's shoulder Jasper said "I'm serious about not speaking to him and stepping foot in his room Will. Although your intentions were in the right place your execution was all wrong. You may have done more harm than good just now. I sure hope you are right that Sam always follows orders."

General Braddock looked up the sadness evident in his eyes as he said "I will comply. Keep close watch please."

Dr. Parker stood "I will. Now as your doctor too I am ordering you to get some rest or I'll be forced to put you on medical leave and order a sleeping aid. You are beyond exhausted and pushing the limits of your endurance."

Then just before leaving the room Jasper offered a softening for Will's previous actions "You know Will, sleep deprivation can severely impair your thinking."

Jasper closed the door behind him and leaned on the wall. He sighed as he thought Braddocks are tough men, hard as nails, resilient and as pig headed stubborn as they come. He sincerely hoped those traits would help Sam recover from his wounds. If not and Sam succeeded in committing suicide William would be forever a broken man.

* * *

 _ **Two Days Later – Remote Special Forces Base – Inside Command Tent**_

Major Plouffe was steaming mad as he stormed back and forth in his tent knocking stuff over and throwing things. Three god damned weeks ago Colonel Sutton dressed him down for bypassing the chain of command by sending the note to the General that his precious best unit had gone rogue. They go rogue and he gets dressed down about it.

Not only dressed down but told that the General ordered the unit to search for Braddock and it was on a need to know basis. Like hell he did. He was made to look like an ass. The General loved to embarrass him. He would pay dearly for this.

Why the hell was he protecting them? Plouffe kicked over a table.

Murphy poked his head into the tent "Major Plouffe?"

Plouffe stopped his temper tantrum and glared at Murphy "What the hell do you want?"

"My unit just got back from the base Sir. I heard news I thought you should know" Murphy said nervously. The shit was just about to hit the fan.

The Major said "Come in then."

Murphy came in and stood fidgeting. Afraid to tell him not knowing what his reaction would be.

"Spit it out Murphy. I don't have all damned day" Plouffe shouted.

"Blaze's unit is back at base Sir" Murphy started.

Plouffe knew it was a load of crap that the General ordered Blaze's unit to search so asked "They in prison?"

Shaking his head Murphy said "No the rumor is they are on rotation leave. But that's not all."

"They are not in prison. God dammit. He is giving them special treatment while dressing me down. I will not stand for this mistreatment" Plouffe ranted and kick over a chair.

"Uh Sir we might have a bigger problem than that" Murphy hesitantly said.

The Major stopped and glared again "And what might that be?"

"Well Sir, Blaze's unit … they … uh … they" Murphy stammered as he saw that Plouffe was wearing a side arm. Would he shoot him dead at this news?

Plouffe waited impatiently "Spit it out idiot."

"It's been kept under wraps but I found out because I was at the hospital for my final checkup on my thigh. Blaze's unit found Braddock."

Plouffe laughed "How much was left of him? How decomposed was the body? God how I would have loved to seen the General's face when he saw his dead son. Too bad I can't taunt him with my toy soldier anymore."

Murphy coughed and stuttered "H .. He's ..not … dead."

Plouffe froze. His eyes widened in abject fear. He shouted "How the hell is he still alive?"

Murphy could only shake his head and shrug his shoulders. He had no idea.

The Major began to pace in fear. Would Qasim tell Braddock that he had paid him for delivering Braddock to him? Would the Braddock's talk and find out that the constant field assignments were not what either seemed they were? How long would it be until they found him out?

He was scared. Did he have enough in his Cayman Islands account to disappear? He stopped and looked at Murphy. Should he kill Murphy and Merrill? Could he make it seem that they were at fault?"

Murphy said "I heard he was barely alive. He might not make it. An orderly I spoke to said they have the asshat on suicide watch."

Plouffe laughed uncontrollably "Oh god that would be great. Can you imagine if Braddock off'd himself. Oh what wonderful pain that would bring the General."

Murphy smiled and added "It would certainly show what a fucking coward the asshat is and how he never belonged in Special Forces. I mean SERE training prepares us for capture. If Braddock can't hack it he is better off dead."

Nodding Plouffe said "If he does not we may need to help him along a bit. I'm thinking that your unit needs another week of R&R seeing that your new Sergeant is delayed in being assigned. I want you back at the Kandahar Base. I see you limping too. I want you to go back to the hospital and do one more checkout Master Corporal."

Murphy read between the lines "Yes Sir. Shall we head back today Sir?"

"Yes. Contact me after you get your leg checked out" Plouffe instructed.

Murphy nodded and headed out of the tent with a faked limp.

Plouffe started pacing again and spoke his thoughts out loud "God fucking dammit. He must be a fucking robot. He is damned hard to kill. I keep trying to knock him over but he keeps getting right back up. Not this time though."

Then his thoughts went to Blaze's team as he ranted "It's so unfair. Not only do they go rogue with carte blanche and rewarded with R&R they found my toy soldier within two weeks." Plouffe kicked the chair across the tent.

* * *

 _ **Remote Special Forces Base – Behind Command Tent**_

Corporal Vinson had been behind the command tent cleaning his rifle. He heard a ruckus of things being knocked over inside the tent. He moved closer to the tent to hear what was going on inside to see if his assistance was needed.

All the color leeched from his face as he overheard the conversation between Murphy and the Major. Holy hell he was in a viper pit. He swallowed hard. What the hell should he do? Who could he trust with what he saw and now what he heard?

He heard footsteps coming his way and quickly moved away and put in his earbuds then sat down. He picked up his rifle and cleaning cloth and bobbed his head like he was listening to a song as he started cleaning the rifle again.

Vinson felt a kick to his thigh. He looked up in to the face of his unit mate. Into the face of a cold blooded killer. He pulled the earbuds out and said "Sorry didn't hear you coming Murphy. What did you want?"

Murphy looked at Vinson and the distance from the back of the tent. Thoughts of Gleason listening in on his conversation with Travis came to mind.

Vinson said nervously "I probably shouldn't listen to music so loudly if you could approach me without me knowing it."

Murphy grinned and said "Yeah that could get you killed out here. Come on. We are heading back to the Base for another week of R&R. Our new Sergeant has been delayed and my leg is acting up a bit."

Standing up Vinson forced a smile on his face "More R&R sounds great. Maybe I can win back some of my money in another round of poker with you guys."

Seeing a forced smile on Vinson's face Murphy wondered if he had overheard. He wasn't about to tip his hand though. He decided he would watch Vinson closely.

"Maybe, maybe not. Depends on whether you have a good poker face" Murphy said.

Vinson nodded and gathered his cleaning supplies. As they headed to the unit tent to collect their gear Vinson was thinking. He wondered if he could go directly to the General with his information or if it would be better to approach Lieutenant Blain.

Whatever he decided Vinson knew he would have to watch his back carefully or he would end up like Gleason. Of that he had no doubt.


	9. Five Days of Hell For Everyone

**Five Days of Hell For Everyone**

* * *

 _ **Five Days Later – Base Hospital – Sam's Room**_

Patch and Mason were sitting with Blondie. It had been five days of hell. Blondie was so weak. He could not lift his own arms or head to even get a drink of water. He was completely dependent on others at this point. It was heartbreaking for each and every one of them. But more so for Matt.

They tried to get Blondie to talk to them one on one or two or three at a time. Blondie refused to say more than water when he was coherent. He refused to eat. The feeding tube was still inserted. But that was only because Blondie did not have the strength to pull it out.

All that was bad but the worst part was the screams and the broken begging to stop the pain and the incoherent rambling apologies for being a failure and being born. Once Blondie woke from his two week sleep, five days ago, he began having unrelenting nightmares. Blondie would wake in a confused and panicked state, sweating profusely, shaking, screaming and begging.

It was an ungodly sound. Blondie was plagued with the nightmares. Every time he fell asleep he would have them. It was hard to wake Blondie when he was trapped in the nightmare. When he did wake he was so confused and more often than not thought he was still there in that hell on earth.

Mason was reading the latest guns and ammo magazine sporting a brace on his sprained wrist. In the wee hours of the morning Mason had tried to wake Blondie from yet another nightmare. He and Patch were shocked when Blondie attacked out of the blue. In a surprisingly strong grip he had twisted Mason's wrist when he was out of it. If Blondie had even half his normal strength Mason's wrist would have been broken.

The guys discussed the incident and decided the short burst of strength was akin to an adrenaline rush that allows someone to lift things beyond their normal ability. Like a parent lifting a car off their child. Blondie had promptly passed out after he attacked. They didn't believe Blondie even realized what he did.

Mason made the guys swear to never tell Blondie. He did not want him to feel any remorse or guilt over something that happened when he was not himself and was very confused. They all agreed Blondie did not need anything more to worry about. It would be a secret they took to their graves.

Patch looked up from his magazine. He had read and reread the same paragraph untold times and still did not remember what it said. His mind was clearly not on the article. His mind was on both Blondie and Matt. Both were in such a bad state emotionally.

Matt was an emotional wreck and his physical health had deteriorated. He couldn't hold it together when Blondie's nightmares came. Matt would end up in the corner crouched down covering his ears, humming to try and drown out the sound and rocking on the balls of his feet.

He felt Blondie's pain so intensely it was tearing him apart. Matt could not sleep nor eat. He refused to leave Blondie's beside and did not sleep at all for three days. When Blondie was not screaming Matt sat staring blankly at the wall. He felt so much guilt for not going rogue earlier; for leaving Blondie in that hell all alone for three months.

It got to the point that Patch and Blaze had spoken to Dr. Parker about Matt's health. Two days ago they forcefully admitted Matt to the hospital. Matt had been sedated for the past two days. Dr. Parker was reducing the sedation today. Hopefully with the rest Matt would be able to cope better. Dr. Parker was sure that sleep deprivation had contributed to Matt's emotional state.

They all felt a full measure of guilt and rage over what had happened to Blondie. It had only taken them two weeks to locate him. If they had gone rogue right off the bat Blondie would not have spent three months in hell. If they had been allowed to go when they requested repeatedly the same would be true.

The rage was solely directed at the General. Especially after Patch communicated to the guys what the General had said. How cold General Braddock had been. None of them had seen the General since. Not a single time in the past five days. Blaze's fury was unleashed on the thin walls of their barracks until Winds pulled him back and literally had to take him to the ground and sit on him so Blaze would not go after the General.

Ripsaw had been the voice of reason that got Blaze to listen and calm. He had stated the obvious. If Blaze or any of the others did any such thing then they would not be here to help Blondie recover. Nor would they be here to protect him in the future. And boy did Blondie need protecting with a father like the General.

Patch felt the anger rising and threw the magazine on the table. To distract his thoughts Patch asked Mason "How's your wrist feeling this morning?"

Mason was about to answer when the screaming started again. God not again both thought as they quickly went to the bed but this time alert to the fact Blondie may lash out. Mason called out "Blondie wake up. Wake up."

When Blondie's head began to thrash back and forth he threw caution to the wind and gripped his shoulders and shook him lightly. "Wake up. You are dreaming. Wake up" he pleaded as his heart wrenched at the sound.

Patch didn't think Blondie could take much more of this. He knew he could not. "I'm gonna call for a sedative. He needs rest."

He was turning to go to the nurses' station when the screaming stopped.

Sam woke disoriented again. He was being held down. Beginning to struggle against the hands it took a while to register he was in a hospital and not there. The confusion dissipated and he looked up to see Mason looking down at him.

Releasing Blondie's shoulders Mason took the cool damp cloth and gently wiped Blondie's face. He smiled and his deep bass voice softly said "That's better. You are here with us. We got you. Better?"

Sam noticed the tears in Mason's eyes. He could not look. Sam closed his eyes and turned way. He hated hurting Blaze, Winds, Mason, Patch and Ripsaw but he just wanted to die. He was in so much pain.

The hundreds of thin gashes that the whip had made on his back and chest had to be cleaned daily to prevent infection. The deep ones still seeped and the bandages would stick and had to be soaked to be removed without pulling. Once removed the antiseptic used to cleanse them burned like fire. It was so painful and his level spiked to a ten every single time.

Patch took over for the nurse with that duty when the nurse was less than caring the first time. To the male nurse Sam was just one of too many patients he had to attend to. He was so overworked and had no time to go slow. Sam had screamed in pain unable to handle the level of pain that shot through him when the nurse swiped the antiseptic across his entire back all at once.

Blaze and Winds were in the room at that time. As Sam started to black out, so overwhelmed with the fire on his back, he heard Blaze rage at the nurse and glimpsed as Winds back him into a corner. His nurse had changed after that incident.

After that, Patch refused to allow anyone else to clean his wounds. Patch took it slow and ensured he was flying high on the good stuff before he started the daily process. It still burned but taken in small batches over the course of several hours he could better manage the pain.

But it was all too much. Sam was having a difficult time getting his two worlds to make sense. How could they care for him? He was worthless and an abject failure. Sometimes he thought this was a dream. Wishful thinking. That he was still in hell. That he was still there.

Although the hardest thing to take was Matt. Matt had left him again. He was angry, so angry with Matt. The one person he trusted beyond measure had left him again. But what did he expect? He was worthless and Matt finally saw that and left him.

But it hurt. It hurt knowing that Matt left and didn't even bother to come like the other guys. He and Matt were so close. If Matt could see he was worthless and unlovable it wouldn't be long before the others followed suit and he was left all alone.

Right now he hated Matt. Sam hated him with a passion for leaving him and for severing their connection. Sam had tried so hard to maintain that connection. When he was there Sam had conjured up music to help him maintain his sanity because Matt loved music. But the music had stopped again. Sam no longer heard it.

He decided he would show Matt that he didn't need him anymore. Matt had promised to help him with anything. But Matt wouldn't help now. Matt left him. Well fuck Matt! Sam would just have to figure out how to do it on his own as soon as he had enough energy.

Patch asked "Water?"

Sam simply nodded. His head was so messed up and it was hard to concentrate and his thoughts were scattered at best. But water was good, so good. Patch brought the straw to his lips and then gently lifted his head a bit so he would not choke on it going down.

He drank his fill still marveling that water was so plentiful. Sam craved it still. Months of fighting to capture a few drops when being water boarded made him appreciate it.

Mason dipped the cloth in the basin of cool water and then wrung it out. Wiping Blondie's face again he asked "Would you like some ice chips?"

The guys had seen how Blondie's eyes widened each time he had a drink of water. Like it was something precious. The first time Winds offered Blondie ice chips and spooned a little into his mouth, Blondie's eyes actually lit up. It was small and quick but it was something. One very small comfort they could give him.

Sam nodded. The cold felt good on the inside of his mouth. The lacerations in his mouth were nearly healed but it still felt so good to ice them.

Patch spooned some into his mouth. Sam tucked it against the right side of his cheek. This side was the worst. A sigh escaped him as he closed his eyes as the ice chips soothed his mouth and the cool liquid went down his throat.

After several spoonfuls of ice chips Sam was exhausted. He could barely stay awake for more than a few minutes at a time. His mouth remained closed as Patch brought up another spoonful. Sam argued with his eyelids and lost. They slipped closed again.

"Looks like you have had enough. Rest now. We wait until this afternoon to clean the wounds" Patch said as he gently squeezed Blondie's left arm.

Patch began to think of this location as his own special way of showing Blondie he cared. A light squeeze to let him know it was real had turned into his way to show comfort and compassion to Blondie.


	10. Blaze's Thoughts, Ripsaw's Request, more

**Blaze's Thoughts, Ripsaw's Request, General's** **Dilemma** **, Vinson's Attempts, Murphy's Idea & Matt's Fury**

* * *

 _ **Next Day – Base Hospital – Matt's Room**_

Blaze sat with Matt. He had hated to do what he had done but it was necessary. Matt was in dire need of sleep. He was killing himself trying to be there for Blondie. The look of betrayal on Matt's face had been hard to take.

Each and every one of them had tried to reason with Matt to go get some sleep. But when that didn't work he had motioned to Mason to come up from behind. It took Mason, Winds, Ripsaw and him to hold Matt down while Patch injected Matt with the sedative. Until the sedative took effect Matt screamed at them telling them he could not leave Sam alone. Matt was frantic.

He had tried to reassure Matt they would not leave Blondie alone. But the look in Matt's eyes just as they closed tore at him. Matt's eyes shouted condemnation, pain and fury all directed straight at him.

They all knew that there would be hell to pay and fences to mend with Matt once he woke up. Blaze hoped with the rest that rational thinking would be restored and Matt would forgive them for their actions. He hoped his decision did not rip a hole in the fabric of the unit. It was the tightest knit unit he had ever been apart of.

Blaze's thoughts then shifted to Blondie. Speaking of forgiveness, would Blondie ever forgive him for not going rogue sooner. For leaving him in that hell hole for so long. Seeing all the injuries he wondered how the hell Blondie survived.

The one thing Blaze knew is that he would never forgive himself for leaving Blondie there so long. If Blondie made it back to them Blaze vowed to never let him down again no matter the cost to himself. He would speak to all the unit leads he knew and get the word out that if they screwed up with Blondie they would have six men breathing fire and not a single one in their units would be left unburned by their rage.

Blondie had enough to worry about with a father that was so cold as to continue to send his son on mission after mission. Then when he comes back more dead than alive he orders him not to commit suicide. Not one single word or gesture of comfort. Blondie was just a soldier to him. Nothing more than that. It was so sad.

General Braddock had a reputation for being a badass, hard and demanding with all the men. Surely as a father he could have a little empathy for his own son. But apparently he did not. Hell he had more empathy for other soldiers. That was just so damned screwed up.

How Blondie became the man he knew, caring and honorable with a father like General Badass was beyond his comprehension. The only thing he knew for a fact was that Blondie had found a place in his heart and the rest of the unit's too. They all looked upon him as a little brother.

Although, Blaze was starting to recognize his feelings for Blondie were shifting. He had become to see him more and more as a son. Hell he was almost old enough to be Blondie's dad.

He knew the fatherly feeling all too well. Daphne was his sister but he had raised her since she was so little after their parents died. Blaze often felt more like her father than her brother. And now he had those same feelings for Blondie.

Blaze thought that Blondie could sure use a father right about now. But more than that, Blondie needed Matt now. None of them had been able to do anything to break through to Blondie. He was locked up tight in his own world with thoughts of suicide and nightmares of that hell hole. As much as he wanted to think he could help Blondie, Blaze knew without a shadow of doubt that it would take Matt to get through to him.

Ripsaw entered the room and looked at Matt then at Blaze. He saw Blaze was still beating himself up. "Blaze this is not your fault" Ripsaw reiterated for what seemed like the hundredth time.

Blaze looked at Ripsaw "I'm their CO. It is my responsibility."

"This is beyond anything you can control. Blondie was taken when he was under another's command. How could that be your fault? And Matt? Good lord, how on earth can that be your fault? Your action saved Matt's life and by extension Blondie's. Because we all know that it is gonna take Matt to get Blondie to want to live again" Ripsaw spoke from the heart as he headed to Matt's bedside.

Seeing he was still not making a dent in Blaze's guilt Ripsaw added "Hell you were the one with the information that led us to Blondie too."

Blaze stood and paced as anger and self-loathing rose up again "Yeah and I knew about that place long before we went there. If we had gone sooner then Blondie …"

Ripsaw cutoff Blaze's words by pushing him up against a wall. His voice strained Ripsaw ground out "Stop. Just stop already. We all feel the same way but we have to let that go. It is what it is. It's in the past and there isn't a god damned thing we can do about it. We cannot change what happened. But we damn well can choose how we proceed from here on out. Your guilt, my guilt, hell all our guilt will not do a damned thing for Blondie."

Blaze was stunned by Ripsaw's actions. He stood still as Ripsaw released him and strode across the room.

Clenching and unclenching his fists Ripsaw said "Blaze we need your leadership now more than ever. This is ripping everyone to pieces. We need your strength. We need you to show us everything will be alright."

With tears welling in his eyes Ripsaw stopped and stared at Blaze "Please."

Blaze nodded once. He drew a deep breath and held it then slowly released it. He was responsible for these men. Ripsaw was asking him to be strong so they could follow his lead. He walked to Ripsaw and clasped both his shoulders firmly and squeezed. "Okay. Okay. No more guilt. We focus on Blondie and his needs now. We do whatever is necessary to bring him back. We will bring him back. It will be alright. Okay."

One tear escaped Ripsaw's eye as he nodded "Okay." He wiped his eyes and stood tall, all five foot six of him and squared his shoulders. Ripsaw asked "Want some coffee?"

Blaze nodded "Sounds good."

Ripsaw headed out of the room feeling steadier then he had in the past three weeks. He needed Blaze to be their fearless leader and to show them through actions everything was going to be alright again. He knew he was asking a lot of Blaze and it might not be fair. But if they were going to get through this they all needed this from Blaze. They would follow Blaze anywhere and if Blaze said it was going to be alright then it would be alright.

When Ripsaw left the room Blaze slumped into the chair. In front of the men he would be strong and he would hide the guilt he felt. He would hide his worry and doubts. He would be what his unit needed him to be. But that did not mean the guilt, doubt and worry was gone. Privately it would never leave him.

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Office**_

General Braddock was reviewing the latest mission reports. But his mind was not on them. It hadn't been on them for the past six days. He so wanted to call Yvonne and tell her that their boy needed her. But he could not let her see Samuel in this condition; especially with her CFS acting up again.

It was a catch 22. When she found out, and she would find out, she would be so mad at him. But he could not risk her health by letting her travel here right now or see him in such a state. Maybe in a few weeks if she was doing better. Samuel might be doing better by then too. God he hoped so.

William knew that it would kill Yvonne to hear Samuel begging for help to die. He knew that without a doubt because it was killing him to hear it. Every night he sat in the observation room wanting to go to Samuel. He wanted to stop the nightmares. He wanted to take his son's pain away.

The damned nurse that had been so callous in his duty and caused Samuel so much pain was history. He had the man transferred back to Canada. None of the soldiers in the hospital deserved to be treated in that manner. If he could do such a thing he would reassign the man as cannon fodder. But all he could do was to get Dr. Parker to speak to the man's CO and get him transferred.

Samuel's continued nightmares were affecting not only him William thought. He had seen firsthand the devastating effect Samuel's state had on Matt. He'd been surprised when the unit forcefully sedated Matt. But he shouldn't be. Those men looked out for one another. He was glad Samuel was in Blaze's unit.

Putting his head down into his hands unbidden thoughts entered his mind. He worried that Samuel might not make it back. Was his son broken beyond repair regardless of how resilient Samuel was? What it would take to bring him back and restore him? William knew he would do whatever it took.

Right now he thought that what it would take was Samuel's unit. If anyone could help Samuel put those demons to rest it would be his unit.

Colonel Sutton communicated to him that Major Plouffe was being a major pain lately saying he needed Blaze's unit back in the field. William didn't give a damn what Major Plouffe thought. Blaze's unit was not fit for duty.

He could see that although Samuel was the one having the nightmares it affected the entire unit. They were so tight knit like a family. When one was hurting they all hurt. Those men would only be whole again once Samuel was better.

General Braddock would arrange it so they had the time off to be there for Samuel. Not only for Samuel's sake but for theirs as well. Sending men on a mission in their state of mind was unconscionable. It could get men killed.

* * *

 _ **Unit Barracks on Base**_

Vinson sat on his bunk with his earbuds in and eyes closed. The music was low and he could hear the conversation around him. He had been trying to understand the dynamics of the unit by covertly listening while appearing preoccupied.

Murphy and Travis were tight. They were nearly inseparable but Murphy was definitely the leader and Travis the follower. Rivera, Hicks and Lang seemed to be friends. He couldn't tell yet whether those three were in league with Murphy or not.

Vinson noticed that Murphy had tried to go to the hospital several times. Each time he would come back angry. Last night he found out why. Apparently he was trying to see Braddock and was refused entry into his room. Braddock's unit was always with him.

He had tried to slip away to talk with the General or Lieutenant Blain several times. But every attempt to slip away was thwarted by either Murphy or Travis. They seemed to keep close tabs on him. He realized he would not be successful in slipping away unnoticed. Vinson would need to bide his time and wait to see what the new CO was like. Perhaps the new Sarge would be someone he could talk to about what he heard.

Vinson felt his skin crawl. It was the feeling he got every time Murphy looked at him. So Murphy must be looking at him now. He kept his breathing steady and his eyes closed giving nothing away.

Murphy looked at Vinson. The rookie was an odd one. He was quiet and kept to himself a lot. He was never without his music; always listening to it. Murphy whispered to Travis "I have one more day to try to get in to see Braddock. But I don't think I will be able to."

Travis said in a hushed tone "The Major has been trying to get his unit back into the field but Colonel Sutton keeps declining him. I don't get why. All they need is a new sniper assigned and they should be back in the field. It's not fair that they get so much down time."

Murphy snorted "They get special treatment for babysitting the General's son. I bet they are sick of sitting around watching him though."

Sitting back in his chair Murphy thought that he just needed one opportunity to slip into Braddock's room. Word around the hospital was he was definitely on suicide watch and his room had been stripped of all potential weapons. All he needed to do was get something in that room he could use. Then the asshat would take care of his problem for him.

An idea came to him. He leaned forward and whispered his plan into Travis's ear. A grin swept across Travis's face as he said "That might just work. You gonna try this afternoon?"

Murphy nodded "Yeah."

Vinson cringed inwardly at the sound of Murphy's 'yeah'. It was cold and calculated. Vinson could not hear what was said previously but was sure whatever it was was not good. He decided that he needed to make at least one more attempt to contact either Lieutenant Blain or the General.

* * *

 _ **Base Hospital – Matt's Room**_

Matt woke slowly. He blinked his eyes as they adjusted to the sunlit room. He was on his back and staring at the ceiling. He flicked his eyes around the room and landed on the only other occupant in the room.

Pushing himself up to a seated position Matt raged "What the hell did you do Blaze? Sam is gonna think I left him. God damn you."

He threw off the covers intending to get out of bed. He gained his feet and then promptly became dizzy. Blaze was at his side preventing Matt from falling to the ground.

As Blaze maneuvered Matt back on the bed he said "Take it a bit slower."

Matt glared at Blaze but allowed him to help him to the bed. He didn't want to but it was either that or face plant on the ground. Matt growled "Why? Why did you do it? Sam needs me."

Blaze responded firmly "I did it for you. For Blondie too. You were killing yourself and I could not allow you to do that. Blondie needs you and you needed rest in order to help him. We've kept watch."

"How many days?" Matt asked angrily.

Blaze answered "Today is the fourth day."

Matt tried to stand again "Oh god he's gonna think I left him again. You heard him. He thought I left him alone. He wanted to die. I have to go to him now. He needs to know I didn't leave him."

Blaze pushed Matt back into the bed. Using his command voice he stated "Master Corporal Hunter this is what you are going to do. You are going to wait in this bed until Dr. Parker checks you out. You will eat something. If the doctor says you are strong enough you will be allowed to visit Blondie. You will be allowed to visit for only as long as the doctor dictates."

Matt was glaring at him but remained silent. Blaze continued "You will not neglect your health. When you visit Blondie you will be strong. If you cannot take the screaming you will return to your room here. Blondie needs us all to be strong and positive. He needs to know that we believe that he will recover from this."

With a hard bead in his eyes and his steel stance Blaze added "If you cannot do those things you will not be allowed to visit Blondie. Do I make my orders clear Master Corporal?"

Intense anger coursing through his veins Matt sat on the bed seething. He had been sedated against his will. Sam likely thought he abandoned him. And now he was being told he could only visit Sam under certain conditions.

Blaze saw the anger in Matt's expression, harsh breathing and the way he was clenching his fists. Matt needed a target and a release. Steel in his voice Blaze said "I give you one hit. Make it count."

Matt tightened his fist, pulled back and punched Blaze square in the jaw.

Blaze's head whipped to the side and back and he staggered back three or four steps with the force of the hit. Righting himself and bringing his hand to his jaw he rubbed it. "Solid punch. Feel better?" Blaze asked.

Releasing his fist and shaking it out a bit Matt thought damn Blaze's jaw was hard. Matt blew out a breath "Not really." His energy spent he lay back on the bed "Get the doctor and the food. I need to see Sam."

Blaze headed for the door. He stopped and looked at Matt and said sincerely "For what it's worth Matt. I'm sorry I had to do that to you. But you left me no choice. You are as important to this unit as Blondie. Never forget that."


	11. Summoned, Brothers Beyond Blood & Milo

**Summoned, Brothers Beyond Blood & Milo **

* * *

_**Outside Base Hospital**_

Murphy smiled his plan worked. He watched as Blaze, Winds, Mason, Patch and Ripsaw all exited the building. He frowned a moment when Matt did not. Why was Matt disregarding a summons to the gun range by a superior?

Then he laughed, oh well, the man would be in big trouble. And he was only one man. One man would not be able to stop Braddock if he really wanted to die. Especially when Braddock had the means for a quick end. Just a small swipe over his jugular vein and it would be over before Matt could stop him.

Murphy slipped inside the hospital. Now all he had to do was located the right man for the job. He needed to find Milo Wagner. Murphy had overheard that Milo needed money badly. He patted his pocket with the five hundred dollars. It would be money well spent. Money to rid him and the world of the asshat.

He laughed as he thought the asshat would kill himself. Braddock was such a weakling. This was too good. Plouffe would be happy with him and who knows he might get another promotion sooner too.

* * *

 _ **Base Gun Range**_

Blaze was blazing mad. The unit had been summoned en masse to the gun range by Major Plouffe. They all knew that they had to follow orders or else the book would be thrown at them per General Braddock's dressing down several weeks ago. None of them could afford to allow that to happen because then they would not be here to protect Blondie. But that didn't stop him from raging and scaring the poor Private that delivered the orders to them.

Winds griped out loud "Where the hell is the Major? We've been waiting for him for fifteen minutes now."

Blaze stopped his pacing and shouted angrily "I don't fucking know but we all know we have to wait for him."

Ripsaw was seated on the wall twirling a stick. "How the hell did Plouffe ever become a Major? He's such an ass."

"Seems like the bigger the ass the higher the rank. Just look at how the General treats Blondie" Mason sneered. Then he looked at Blaze "Present company excluded of course."

Blaze snorted "I'm not so sure about that. Matt probably thinks I'm a royal ass right about now. I laid into him pretty hard."

Winds slapped Blaze upside the back of his head "Knock that shit off Blaze. You are not an ass. Pigheaded and stubborn as the day is long but never an ass. You did what you did for Matt's well-being. We all know it and Matt will recognize it too. Give him time to process it and you will see."

Patch paced back and forth listening but his eyes were in the direction of the hospital. He finally stopped and said "I don't like this. We shouldn't be gone this long. Matt really wasn't up to sitting with Blondie yet. Especially not alone. What if Blondie has another nightmare?" His eyes wide and all emotion displayed on his face Patch turned to look at Blaze. "Will they be okay?"

Calming his voice to offer Patch the reassurance he needed Blaze said "Yeah. Matt knows what is expected of him now. He will follow orders. I also informed Dr. Parker we would be leaving the two alone together. He promised to have the nurse increase her rounds to Blondie's room and to monitor the video more closely. We will be back soon enough. If Plouffe doesn't show in the next ten minutes I'll call Sutton."

Patch nodded but his head turned back towards the hospital. The rest of the unit did so too. Each wondering why Plouffe wanted them at the gun range and concerned for both Matt and Blondie.

* * *

 _ **Base Gun Range – Ammo Depot**_

Major Plouffe watched the unit milling about on the gun range from the ammo depot. It was a good thing he had arrived at the base this morning for a routine briefing. Murphy's plan was a good one. But Braddock had to be alone for it to work.

He would let the unit stew another ten minutes. That should allow Murphy enough time to get things in motion. Then he would keep them here for another hour or two. It was well within his rights to have the unit report and demonstrate their readiness regardless of whether Colonel Sutton would allow them to take on a mission.

That had ticked him off to no end. There was no good reason for this unit to be down. They should be back in the field. He had a sniper all picked out to put with them. Murphy distrusted Vinson and wanted him out of their unit. Murphy said it would be difficult to do the things that were needed with that rookie around.

The Major smiled. He knew right where to put Vinson. With Blain's unit, the unit was sent on the most dangerous missions, thanks to his selections of mission assignments. With any luck Vinson would end up dead like Neal or Gary and the problem would be solved. If not, at least he was out of Murphy's unit.

Plouffe watched them a while longer and finally noticed that one was missing. Where the hell was Hunter? How dare he disregard his summons?

Major Plouffe stormed out of the ammo depot towards the unit. He was going to find out where Hunter was at and then he was gonna put Hunter's ass on report for insubordination and failure to comply with a direct order. That would be one more idiot out of his hair.

* * *

 _ **Base Hospital – Sam's Room**_

Matt sat in the plastic chair next to Sam's bed. Dr. Parker had checked him over and read him the riot act for not taking proper care of himself. He had proclaimed that he must eat properly and could visit Sam for short periods of time; one hour in Sam's room followed by at least two hours of rest beginning tomorrow.

But an order from Major Plouffe changed that. For once Plouffe did something that Matt liked. If he had not ordered the unit to the gun range then he would not be visiting Sam until tomorrow.

Blaze was really pissed off to say the least. Blaze made him re-iterate his orders on what to do if Sam had a nightmare and he found he could not handle the screaming. Then he a waited to leave until a wheelchair arrived to move him to Sam's room. Matt had bitched and moaned about riding in a wheelchair but shut his mouth quickly when Blaze looked like he would change his mind about him going to Sam.

Patch then made sure his food was delivered to Sam's room. Good thing it was a sandwich because they allowed no utensils in Sam's room for good reason. Matt took a small bite and chewed slowly. So unlike how they normally ate. But his stomach wasn't up for much after so many days neglecting eating.

Matt considered Blaze's words closely. He concluded that Blaze was right about many things. Matt needed to take care of himself in order to be here for Sam. It was his own fault Sam would think he left him. If he had only seen that several days ago the unit would not have had to sedate him.

He realized their actions had been taken out of desperation and for his own good. His unit probably saved his life. Well no probably about it really according to Dr. Parker. Matt forgave all of them for their actions. When they got back from whatever Plouffe wanted he would thank each one of them and let them know he harbored no resentment or ill thoughts about their actions.

Another small bite of sandwich and Matt's thoughts turned to Sam. Blaze was right there too. Matt needed to be strong. Sam had been so strong to hold on for three months in that hell on earth. Sam held on and survived even when he was more dead than alive.

Matt noted that most of the bruising was healed now. Only a few places that were still that shade of sickly yellowish brown. Sam's face almost looked normal now too. There was still the bandage over his repaired nose. A small smile crept over Matt's face. He could tease Sam that he had a nose job.

His eyes roamed to the casts on his feet. Physical therapy would be painful. He hoped Sam would regain proper function of his feet. Matt was too out of it to remember what the doctor said about Sam's feet. Sam's arm and ribs would heal. Matt knew how much broken ribs hurt himself. It was because of those he had missed Sam before he left with Gleason's unit.

It was the mental wounds that worried Matt the most. He knew what it was like to be in a dark place and how tough it could be to get out of that mode. Matt knew now that he had to find a way to break through to Sam. None of the guys had been able to get into his head and get him to see that he would recover and that they were here for him.

Matt knew that was his job now. He started to contemplate just how he would do this when an orderly came into Sam's room. Matt looked at him and asked "What are you here for?"

The orderly looked at the man in the chair. Murphy told him Braddock would be alone. Milo said quickly "I'm here to change the sheets."

Matt eyed him long and hard then said "So where are these sheets?"

The orderly dropped his eyes and couldn't believe he had done it again. He was so focused on what Murphy asked him to do. Milo muttered "Damn forgot them again. My supervisor is gonna be so pissed." Looking up again Milo said "Be right back."

Matt snorted then actually laughed for the first time in ages. He could only imagine what it would be like to supervise an orderly sent to change sheets that forgot the sheets; apparently more than once.

He finished his sandwich before the orderly returned. Matt watched as the orderly moved Sam around to change the sheets. He was glad Sam did not wake during the process. It was bound to be painful. Most of the shallower gashes had healed over to thin pink lines. The deeper gashes were healing but there were so many it would take time before Sam did not experience pain from them. And the ribs would protest loudly to any small movement.

Sam was awake as he was moved side to side and the sheets changed under him. It hurt like hell to be moved but he could not let his captors know he was awake. The torture would begin again if they knew he was awake.

Wait that didn't match Sam thought. God he was confused. Pieces did not fit nicely together. He would mix up here and now with there and then. His mind was scrambled. All he knew for sure was his wounds hurt and Matt left him. The pain of both was real and tangible.

He let out a groan when pressure was put on a particularly painful place.

Matt was out of the chair in a flash. He pushed the orderly aside roughly. Going down to eye level with Sam Matt said with a voice full of concern "Sam I'm here. I know it hurts. I'll call for more pain meds." Matt pressed the call button then ran his hand gently through Sam's hair.

"Brother I'm here. Sorry I haven't been here in a few days. I was an ass and did something really stupid. I hope you can forgive me. I did not leave you. I promise you will get through this. I will help you" Matt said softly.

Matt's voice registered in Sam's brain. His eyes slowly opened. It was Matt. Matt was here. Wait. Was Matt real or just another hallucination? It was hard to tell anymore. Sam's hand reached out groping in the air.

Seeing Sam's hand Matt gripped it firmly. His voice full of resolve Matt said "It's okay Sam. I'm here now and you are going to get better. You are not going to let those bastards win. You fought so hard for three months alone. You survived. You have to fight again but now you have me, Blaze, Patch, Winds, Mason and Ripsaw here. We will hold you when you need us too but you have to want to come back to us."

Sam stared as Matt spoke. His mind tried to decide whether it was real or just wishful thinking. Matt seemed real. He heard Matt's voice. Could it really be real or just some damn accurate hallucination?

As Sam only stared at him a small amount of pleading entered Matt's tone as he begged "Please come back to us. Come back to me brother."

Tears welled in Sam's eyes. His voice hoarse from disuse Sam rasped out a bit fearful of the answer "Are you really here?"

Matt squeezed Sam's hand "Do you feel that?"

Sam nodded slightly.

"That's real Sam. I'm real. I'm here and I never truly left you. I wanted to be here. I did. But I was stupid and the guys had to put me down for several days. I'm so sorry I was such an idiot. But you were never alone. The guys were here with you. That's real too" Matt choked out.

Tears slipped down Sam's face. "You didn't leave me?" he asked in an almost childlike voice.

"No. I could never leave you Sammy. You are my brother. You mean more to me than anyone ever has" Matt stated firmly.

"I talked to you all the time. You would answer me and then send me music to cope. But then I couldn't hear you anymore. For so long you didn't answer me. You left me. I didn't hear your music. I was so alone I wanted to die" Sam cried as his hand gripped Matt's with as much strength as he could muster. He was still afraid this wasn't real. That Matt was not real. That if he let go of Matt's hand he would disappear again. Sam was afraid to lose Matt again.

Sam used past tense. Matt's heart sang. He realized Sam said 'I wanted to die' not 'I want to die'. Matt hoped he was making a small dent in Sam's shield.

Matt responded gently "I'll answer you now. I'll make sure you hear the music. I'll help you see the beauty of life again. I won't lie to you. It's gonna take work and it's gonna be hard and hurt sometimes. But I will help you get through it. Together. You and me like always, brothers beyond blood. You just have to want it. Do you want to live again?"

Deep seeded pain and despair imbued every word Sam rasped out. "It hurts too much Mattie. I don't think I can. It always hurts so much. He just wants a soldier. He doesn't care. I don't think I can ever measure up to what he wants. It's better if I just die. I'm not worthy and it hurts so much to keep trying to be what he wants. Why am I so bad?"

Reaching out with his other hand Matt wiped away Sam's tears "You are not bad. He's just a bastard Sammy. You are good and honorable. He should be proud to have you as a son. It is his loss that he does not see the man you are. But I do. The world is a better place because you are in it. Please say you will stay or at least try to stay. I can't lose you. You are my brother."

Sam only cried and his shoulders shook with the intensity of his sobs. Matt carefully put his arms around Sam and held onto him as Sam poured out his pain.

Milo stood watching the men. He was supposed to leave the little knife within reach of Braddock. He was paid very well to do so by a so called friend of Braddock. Milo needed that money to help his ill father so he agreed. But he couldn't do it. He just could not do it after what he just witnessed.

Before he came in he had known Braddock was the General's son and that he had been held captive and tortured for months. Milo had seen the wounds for several weeks now and they were horrific. How someone survived that had astounded him. The so called friend said he would be doing Braddock a favor by allowing him to kill himself. That Braddock would never be whole again after his ordeal with the terrorists and it was more compassionate to allow him to die.

But the man speaking to Braddock was so sincere. He was trying to help Braddock. Milo could see Braddock was so confused. Especially since he thought his father didn't care. Hell the man spent every single night in the observation room. Now if he didn't care why would the General do that?

Milo did not want to interrupt them so stood silently in the back of the room as the man held the sobbing soldier. When the nurse came in Milo looked to her and very quietly said "I'll finish with the sheets when they are ready."

The nurse nodded to him and went to the bed. She lightly tapped Matt's shoulder.

Matt turned his head and saw the nurse. He said "Sam needs pain meds."

She nodded and held up the syringe "I thought he might." She administered them and asked softly "Do either of you need anything else?"

"Just some privacy. The sheets can wait" Matt said just now noticing the orderly was still in the room.

On her way out the nurse gently tugged on the orderly's arm getting him to head out of the room. Outside the door she said "I'll ring when they are ready for you to finish."

Milo said "Okay." He turned and walked away. At the end of the hall Milo threw the small knife in the trash can. He would not be party to the suicide of Braddock even if he had to give the money back.


	12. Blistered Hand, Matt's Miracle, Love of

**Blistered Hand, Matt's Miracle, Love of Music, Almost Told & General's Gift**

* * *

 _ **Four Hours Later – Base Hospital – Outside Sam's Room**_

Five sweaty tired men drug their heels as they walked towards Sam's room. Major Plouffe was merciless in running them through readiness drills at the obstacle course and the gun range. Blaze looked at his unit and was about to order them to hit the showers but he knew that they were as eager to check on Blondie and Matt as he was. So he belayed his order. Although after they all got to see how Blondie and Matt were doing he would send them off to do just that.

Winds spoke out loud what everyone was thinking "I hope they are both okay."

Patch nodded as he adjusted the gauze on his hand. Two hours straight of shooting left his hand blistered. He wished the Major had given them time to grab their gloves. But he didn't.

Ripsaw saw Patch and said "Here let me do that." The two stopped and Ripsaw adjusted the gauze for Patch.

Mason took a deep breath and looked at Patch as he ground out "I about popped the Major when he told you that you had baby hands and that he expected his men to be battle ready without gloves. Hell I'd like to see his hands after two hours of continuous shooting."

Patch grunted but then quipped "At least I got some practice in on my left handed shooting. I think Blondie might have been impressed."

Blaze looked at Patch and patted his shoulder "I'm impressed. You did better in your non-dominant hand than I bet the Major could do in his dominant one."

The guys all snickered.

Patch smiled and said "Yeah he may have been a sniper long ago but I doubt he was ever any good."

Winds asked "So why do you think the Major did that?"

Blaze shook his head "No idea. But he sure was mad when I told him Matt was on medical leave too. Almost saw the steam coming out of his ears."

Mason leaned against the wall and asked "That man is an insane idiot. How the hell does he remain in charge? Doesn't the brass see how irrational he can be?"

Blaze shrugged "The brass can be blind to what really happens in the field. Lots of things can be twisted. I mean just look how the General manages to keep his son in the field constantly. That's not right but none of them, Plouffe or Sutton ever question it."

Patch said "Let's go. I need to clean Blondie's wounds. I was planning on doing this afternoon but the Major happened."

* * *

 _ **Base Hospital – Sam's Room**_

Matt looked up as the door opened. He smiled as the five entered.

Blaze, Winds, Mason, Patch and Ripsaw stopped after they entered the room. They saw Matt smiling at them. His hand held Blondie's and soft classical music filled the room.

Matt beamed as he said quietly "He's sleeping. Sam agreed to sedation so he could sleep without nightmares tonight. He spoke to me. Sam said he is going to try for us."

Five jaws dropped open.

Matt's smile got brighter as he said "Sam even took three sips of broth for me."

The guys rushed forward, Matt had worked a miracle in the four hours they were gone. They pulled Matt up out of the chair then passed him around giving him hugs and backslaps. When things quieted down the guys all pulled chairs close to Matt as he resumed his seat and holding Sam's hand.

Blaze was the first to get his words moving "That's a miracle. How Matt?"

Shaking his head he said somberly "I'm not really certain but I spoke from the heart. Sam has a long way to go guys. It's not gonna be all rainbows and unicorns. He's having trouble knowing what's real and what's not. Sam's all mixed up. But one thing is for certain. What the General said to Sam hurt him deeply. I can't understand why but Sam is still seeking his father's approval. He keeps trying to be worthy. Like if he becomes the perfect soldier his father will find him worthy of love and care about him."

Winds stood and pounded his fist in his hands. His voice was loud and angry "I need to hit something. No actually someone. Namely the General."

Blaze allowed the rage to wash through him. Ripsaw's words entered his head and kept him calm and in control. The unit needed him to be in charge and rational. He said "Winds you need to keep calm in this room. If you cannot then go to the gym and hit the heavy bag until you can be calm in here."

Winds turned to Blaze his voice only slightly raised now but still full of anger "How can you be so calm?"

Blaze stood and placed himself in front of Winds. The best friends met eye to eye as Blaze said "Because I have to be. Blondie does not need to see our anger. He needs our strength to get better."

Letting Blaze's words sink in he nodded once and turned away trying hard to rein in his anger.

Matt said "Sam needs to find the beauty of life. He's been too mired in the darkness for the past months. Sam needs light and laughter to restore his soul. He's gonna need all of us."

Patch asked "When did he get the sedation and how deep?"

Matt answered "About an hour ago. Dr. Parker said it would keep him under all night."

Nodding Patch said seriously "Good I can clean his wounds without hurting him tonight. I think perhaps we should do it like this every night. Do you think you could talk Sam into agreeing to that?"

Matt half-laughed "I don't think that will be too tough. Sam is so tired of being in pain. He has been in pain constantly for nearly four months now and rehab will be more pain."

Everyone winced at that comment.

Mason looked at Patch's hand "How about you talk me through what to do tonight Patch. Your hand could use a rest."

Matt started to take in the state of the others now and asked "What the hell did Pooffy do to you all?"

Ripsaw laughed "Where the hell did that name come from?"

Matt smiled "I can't stand the man. I don't respect him either. He should have gone to bat for us to look for Sam. Damned chain of command. Sometimes I just want to circumvent it. Somedays I want to tell off the General. But I know I can't. If I did I'd likely find myself dishonorably discharged and then Sam would be alone."

Winds sat down feeling very tired. He was doing all he could to manage his rage as he said "You and me both Matt. I don't respect Plouffe either. In fact I'd venture to say none of us do."

Everyone nodded and Patch added "I don't respect the man but I do respect the position. And I'm with you Matt on wanting to tell off the General but like you said that would leave Blondie here to cope alone. He needs us all too much to risk that. He needs us to get him through his contract alive. Then Blondie can be out from under the General's thumb and do something he wants. That's my plan. When I'm finished with my contact I'm outta here."

Mason asked "What are you gonna do Patch?"

Patch smiled "I thought I'd get a job as a paramedic. This unit has given me more than enough experience that I think I could be good at that."

Blaze patted Patch's shoulder "You would be damned good Patch."

They all nodded.

Matt realized no one had answered his question so asked again "So what did Pooffy want?"

Ripsaw snorted "To run us through readiness drills. Patch's hand is blistered from two hours of shooting because he did not let us go get our proper gear. The man is a sadist."

Blaze, not wanting the conversation to devolve again, quickly said "Ripsaw and Winds hit the showers and grab a few hours of rest. When you get back Patch, Mason and I will swap with you. Matt you need to head back to your room now. I'll come get you when I leave and you can sit with Blondie for a few more hours tonight. But if he is sedated I want you to sleep tonight so you can be here for him in the morning."

They all responded "Roger."

Matt stood and said "Thank you all. I know it was a tough decision to sedate me but it was the right one. Thank you for looking out for me."

Mason slapped him on the back nearly sending him across the room. The guys all laughed as Mason said "Oops sorry Matt. But you know, thanks is not needed. You'd do the same for any of us."

Matt stabilized himself and grinned. Mason was like a grizzly bear and sometimes forgot his strength. One swat of his hand could send you flying to the ground. Good thing he was his friend and more like an overgrown teddy bear to the unit. "Yeah like any of us could ever hold you down teddy bear."

Mason chuckled "Thought I told you not to call me that."

"Thought you said you wouldn't send me flying across the room anymore" Matt countered.

Winds said "You are even then. Come on Matt well walk you back to your room and tuck you in."

Matt snorted "Don't need no tucking in."

"Humor them Matt" Blaze said as he kicked out his feet and stretched.

"Okay but just so we are all clear Sam is the youngest" Matt said heading for the door.

Winds wrapped his arm over Matt's shoulders and said "Yeah, yeah, but you are next youngest. Come on baby brother let's get you back. I can read you a bed time story if you want."

"OOOPFF" was expelled from Winds as Matt elbowed him in the stomach. All the guys laughed.

* * *

 _ **Three Hours Later – Base Hospital – Matt's Room**_

Matt sat on his bed thinking. He had made a small dent, maybe even a crack in Sam's shield. But he needed to do more. He leaned back and put in his earbuds and pulled up his music. He always thought better with music in the background.

It was something he started very early on. His beloved mother had given him his first MP3 player when he was six. They both shared a love of music. She let him load up his player with anything he wanted.

When his father was gone the two of them would dance and sing to all types of music. She was so alive when they listened to music together. They listened to everything, classical, hard rock, soft rock, pop, jazz, country, reggie, rap, disco and any other type of classification. Matt loved it all because his beloved mother had loved it all.

He used the music to escape too. When his father was yelling and beating up his mother he would put in his earbuds and turn up the music to drown out the sound. Sometimes that was a bad thing because he didn't hear when his father was done with his beloved mother and came for him. But his music also soothed him after his father beat the shit out of him too.

Matt grinned. That was it. Sam had said he sent him music to cope. Sam needed music. Music could show him the multifaceted beauty of life. Matt got out of bed. He had to talk to Blaze.

He pulled the damned hospital gown closed behind him and grumbled "Damned mother hens."

Winds and Ripsaw had taken his clothes earlier when he joked that he could just get dressed and visit Blondie whenever he wanted. He should have kept his mouth shut. Now he had to roam the halls in this stupid hospital gown.

* * *

 _ **Base Hospital – Outside Matt's Room**_

Vinson finally slipped his tail. Travis was good but a few too many beers and that man was three sheets to the wind. Both Murphy and Travis were drunk. Celebrating their success in whatever their plan had been. They were so drunk Murphy spilled an entire beer on him. Vinson reeked of beer right now.

He was heading to Braddock's room. Vinson decided that he would entrust what he saw and heard with anyone of Braddock's unit. They had gone rogue to find him. Everyone knew it even though the official story was that the General ordered them to go. So whoever was with Braddock would be the one to hear about it because he didn't know when he would get another opportunity.

Vinson saw someone coming out of a room. Based on Lang's description of Braddock's best friend it must be Matt Hunter. Lang had been at the hospital earlier today restocking his medic supplies. Vinson overheard him telling Hicks that Hunter had been admitted for exhaustion and sedated for several days.

Hicks had asked which one was Matt again. Hicks it seemed had trouble remembering who was who in other units. Lang had described him to Hicks saying he was the one with dark brown hair and green eyes. Hicks had nodded and said he remembered now.

This man fit that description and he did look very haggard and thin. Like he had not been sleeping or eating right for weeks. If Hunter and Braddock were best friends like Lang said then this man might be the one to tell. Vinson decided to take a chance and waved to the man.

Matt stopped and wondered who the Corporal was and why he waved at him. He stood still and quiet as the man approached.

Vinson looked behind him and then back forward before he stopped and nervously asked "You are Hunter, Matt Hunter right?"

"Yeah. Why?" Matt asked cautiously. How did this Corporal know his name? Why did he look skittish?

Vinson was so scared. He knew Major Plouffe was on base. He just didn't know where. Vinson couldn't risk getting caught by him. The man was friggin insane.

He stalled a moment trying to drum up the courage and finally said "You don't know me but I'm Corporal Vinson. I joined Murphy's unit just before Gleason died. I have something to te …"

Major Plouffe's voice rang out from behind Vinson "Hunter, Vinson what are you doing?"

Plouffe was surprised to see both of them here. He was here to check if Murphy's plan had worked. Braddock should have off'd himself by now if the orderly was successful in placing the knife.

Both men came to attention. Matt answered "Sir I was just heading to check on Braddock."

Vinson struggled for an answer.

Matt saw the struggle in his face, a hint of fear and he smelled the beer on him. Matt answered "The Corporal was asking me where the dispensary is. He's got a killer headache. Probably shouldn't have had so many beers."

Plouffe looked closely at Vinson. He saw the creases in his forehead that bespoke pain. He smelled the beer. Plouffe said harshly "Corporal Vinson you are a disgrace for getting so drunk that you cannot find the dispensary. I am putting you on report. The dispensary is one floor down and to the left off the elevator. Get your aspirin then get yourself back to your barracks. You are not allowed to leave again until your unit ships out."

"Yes Sir. Understood Sir" Vinson said and moved off quickly. He glanced back at Matt. Their eyes met a moment but Vinson quickly turned forward again when Plouffe started to turn towards him. Vinson let out the breath he was holding. That was close. To close.

Vinson was completely taken aback when Matt offered up an excuse for him. It was quick thinking. It had worked. The only drawback was that he was now confined to quarters and would not have another opportunity to speak with them before he shipped out to the remote base with their new Sarge.

Major Plouffe took in Hunter's condition and attire. He did look exhausted with dark circles beneath his eyes, under fed, unwell and he was in a hospital gown. Plouffe had been pissed when he was told Hunter was on medical leave and in the hospital. He didn't believe it for a second and had gone to Colonel Sutton to report Hunter.

Colonel Sutton dressed him down again. Then the Colonel shoved a paper into his hands that provided the status of soldiers that clearly denoted Hunter was on medical leave for exhaustion. Sutton had yelled at him and told him that he should pay more attention to the status of the soldiers; especially since it had been reviewed in that morning's routine briefing.

Plouffe glared at Hunter and then his words penetrated. Hunter was checking on Braddock. That meant Braddock did not succeed. Dammit. With anger edging his voice Plouffe growled "Soldier you should not be out of your bed in your condition."

Matt answered "Yes Sir. But I've been cleared by Dr. Parker to make short visits to Braddock every few hours. I've been resting for three hours and was on my way to visit with him just now."

The Major was about to tell him to return to his room when Dr. Parker arrived. The doctor smiled and said "Matt are you on your way to Sam's room?"

"Yes" Matt answered simply.

"Good. Then I'll have the nurse redirect your food to Sam's room. I expect you to eat it all. And remember only an hour visit then back to your room since Sam will sleep through the entire night. You need to be rested when he wakes in the morning."

Then Jasper took in Matt's attire "Where are your clothes?"

Matt grinned at the doctor "Winds and Ripsaw took them. They thought it would keep me in my room longer." Matt didn't add that he would roam the halls naked to be with Sam if he had too. That would be too much information.

Plouffe was seething at the easy familiarity between Hunter and the doctor. Where was the discipline? He said to the doctor "How long will Hunter be on medical leave?"

Dr. Parker looked at Plouffe. He had met him a few times before. The man was a complete bag of shit. Jasper answered "Depends on many factors. I've been given orders to communicate Hunter's status to Colonel Sutton on a routine schedule. I'm sure you will be notified when his status changes."

Turning back to Matt he said "Get yourself to Braddock's room. I don't want you standing around in the hall. You need to be sitting."

Matt answered "Yes doc" and headed quickly for Sam's room glad to be away from Major Pooffy. Matt's mind returned to his original purpose for going to Sam's room.

He needed to talk to Blaze about getting Sam an MP3 player. Matt knew the PX didn't carry them. They would have to order one for Sam. Blaze might just have the connections to get one here without it going missing in the delivery like the last two MP3 players he ordered for himself.

* * *

 _ **Base Hospital – Observation Room**_

General Braddock saw Hunter moving towards Samuel's room slowly. It was good to see him up. Dr. Parker told him Hunter was doing better. But the man was defying orders. He was not supposed to visit Samuel until tomorrow.

He was able to slip into the observation room before Hunter saw him. William headed for the coffee pot that Jasper had arranged for him in the room. He poured a cup and assumed his seat in the recliner.

That's when he noticed something different in Samuel's room. One good thing and three bad things.

The three bad was the state of Blaze, Mason and Patch. They looked like they did a ten mile trek. They were all dirty and Patch had his hand wrapped. What the hell did they do? He ordered them to stay in top form but not to run themselves ragged.

He noticed that Patch sat in a chair directing Mason's actions. Mason was cleaning Samuel's wounds on his back as Blaze held Samuel up. What the hell did Patch do to his hand?

The one good thing was that Samuel made no reaction to the painful procedure. His face was completely slack. Samuel must be sedated.

Thank god Dr. Parker decided to do that regardless of Samuel's wants. They had discussed the fact that Samuel hated to be forcefully sedated so had left it up to Samuel each time. Each time Samuel was given the option to be sedated he had shaken his head no. Now Samuel would not be in so much pain and would get some real rest.

The General normally kept the audio off to give the men privacy. He did not like eavesdropping but when Hunter entered the room with a grin on his face he just had to listen. Something was truly different. He could almost feel a charge in the air.

William listened as Matt explained what he wanted to do and how he thought music might be the key to bringing Samuel back. He heard when he asked Blaze if he knew of any contacts that could get them an MP3 played here fast and a laptop that they could use so he could setup several playlists for Samuel.

When Blaze answered he could probably arrange one within a week Hunter looked crestfallen.

General Braddock pulled out his phone and dialed. When it was answered he said "Ryan it's me Will. I have a favor to ask."

 _[Ryan Braddock put down his sandwich "You do have impeccable timing Will. I was just about to have my lunch."]_

"Sorry for interrupting you again at a meal but this is important. It's for Samuel" William said.

 _[All thoughts of food vanished and Ryan asked "What do you need?"]_

William said "I need to arrange to get an MP3 player and laptop to Samuel by tomorrow morning my time. Getting one here is extremely difficult. Shipments of any electronics are typically stolen or held up in customs forever."

 _["I'll make it happen Will. How is Sam doing? Any improvement?" Ryan asked.]_

"Not really but music might be a key. At least that is what Matt Hunter thinks" William shared.

 _[Ryan sighed. He was hoping for better news. He ventured "Have you told Yvonne yet?"]_

General Braddock breathed deep and let it out slowly "No. She is not healthy enough right now. This has been a bad spell for her. I don't dare burden her with this right now. Samuel is not in a good state of mind right now and that would surely not be good for Yvonne. I'm torn and wish I could be in two places right now."

 _["You know that Ann is there for her sister right now. Natalie is helping out too. You need to be there for Samuel. I would hate to be in your position right now Will. Is there anything else I can do to help?" Ryan asked worried about the stress of both Yvonne being sick and Sam being injured was having on Will.]_

"No nothing else right now. Thanks Ryan" William responded.

The brothers spoke a little longer about the arrangements for the shipment and delivery of the MP3 player and laptop then hung up. William trusted his brother to follow through. His little gift for Samuel would be here by nine am tomorrow and delivered directly to Hunter's room.

General Braddock watched as Winds and Ripsaw entered the room. Those two looked more refreshed than the others. He smiled when Winds teased Matt about the hospital gown and Matt laughed. Something definitely had changed. Samuel's unit did not look so downhearted. They were actually laughing and joking.

He hoped that meant a positive change had taken place with Samuel. He would normally turn off the sound but their laughter was soothing to him. He found himself chuckling at some of their jokes.

William left his coffee untouched and drifted into a deep restful sleep for the first time in nearly four months.


	13. Guardian Angel, Transfer, NO NEEDLES &

**Guardian Angel, Transfer,** **NO NEEDLES & Matt Plays His Ace Card**

* * *

 _ **Base Hospital – Matt's Room**_

Matt woke slowly as he heard a knock on his door. In a sleepy voice he called out "Enter." Then he thought it strange the guys would knock.

As he sat up he grabbed his phone and looked at the time. It was nearly nine am. Whoa! He hadn't slept this long in a while. Matt wanted to get to Sam's room. He hoped Sam hadn't woken up yet. He wanted to be there when he did.

His room door opened and a Private entered. "Matthew Hunter?"

"Yeah that's me" Matt said and yawned.

"I have a delivery for you" he said and placed the large package on the rolling table. "Please sign here" the Private said as he handed him a clipboard.

Matt signed and asked "Who is it from?"

The Private shrugged and left the room.

He carefully inspected the package. Matt was a little wary about one being delivered to him since no one cared about him but Sam and his unit. Matt saw who it was from. It confused him. He knew the name from Sam but why send this package to him.

On the outside an envelope was attached. Matt opened the envelope and pulled out a single sheet of paper. It was fine paper and had feminine handwriting. Matt read the note.

 _Dear Matt,_

 _I hope this package finds you well. I enjoyed the few days you and my Sammy spent at my home before you two shipped out. It was so good to see that Sammy made such a good friend. His letters mention you often so I know you two are still close and in the same unit._

 _I heard through the grapevine that Sammy was hurt badly recently and will be laid up for some time. I know my boy does not do well with hospitals. So I thought I'd send some things that might help distract him. I didn't know if he could receive packages so I sent it to you hoping you might be able to get it to Sammy for me._

 _Please take care of my Sammy boy. Tell him I'm sending him positive thoughts and that he is loved and cared for deeply._

 _Sincerely, Bella_

 _PS. There is a little something in this package for you too. Please be safe and stay healthy because you are loved and cared about too._

Matt sat for some time just staring at the note. He smiled. Sam loved Bella like a mother. Sam had told him all about his two years living with Bella. That was a fun few days they spent at her home. Sam was all light and laughter in Bella's home; more so than he ever was anywhere else.

Those years with Bella were the bright spot of Sam's mostly dismal childhood. It was Bella and her security man Wilson that showed Sam that family could be chosen. Matt was thankful for what they had done for Sam as a teenager. A part of him wished he had had a Bella in his life too.

Pulling the package into his lap he started to open it. What would Bella send to entertain Sam? And what would she send to him?

Matt opened the box and was dumbfounded. "Holy Crap" he exclaimed excitedly. His hands flew as he pulled out a laptop, ten DVD movies and two huge bags of cookies.

He looked at the cookies and smiled. Bella had sent each of them their favorite cookies. There was a bag of oatmeal, raisin walnut cookies for Sam and a bag of snickerdoodles for him. He smiled and opened the bag of snickerdoodles, took one out and bit into it. Bella made delicious cookies. He was pleasantly surprised she remembered his favorite.

Matt closed the bag and ate the cookie slowly enjoying it as he looked through the movies Bella sent. They were all comedies. Sam would enjoy them but more important he would laugh. Sam needed to laugh so these were perfect.

He was about to put the box on the floor when he saw two small items at the bottom under the packing peanuts. How did he miss those? He reached in and pulled out two brand new MP3 players. One had a sticky note that read Sammy and the other that read Matt. Both had a small heart drawn on them and the words _'For my boys._ _Music soothes the soul_ '.

Matt was speechless. How? How did she know? Then he saw a rather fat envelope at the very bottom. With shaking hands he pulled it out. Written on the front it said ' _For music_ '. Matt opened the envelope and after seeing the contents tears flowed unrestrained and blurred his vision.

Blaze opened Matt's door. He was glad that Matt had slept the entire night. The guys had checked on him several times last night and each time Matt was peacefully sawing logs.

He had just been in Blondie's room and Patch said Blondie was showing signs of starting to wake up so it was time to get Matt.

Blaze stopped in his tracks when he saw Matt in tears. Quickly he went to the bed and that's when he noticed what was lying in Matt's lap and on his bed. What? How?

Matt looked at Blaze and could see the questions. Finding his voice Matt wiped his eyes and smiled "Bella."

Still confused Blaze asked "Bella?"

"Bella. Grande Dame Marbella Ridgewater. She's like Sam's mom. She is a sweet old lady. Sam lived with her for a few years when he was a teenager. I met her before we shipped over here" Matt shared and then handed the original note to him.

Blaze read the note. "How did she know Sam was hurt?"

Matt shrugged "Connections I suppose. Bella was heading to a gala hosted by the Prime Minister for the Queen the night we left to head here."

Stunned Blaze said "What brought you to tears Matt?"

"All this but mostly this" Matt said as he handed over the last envelope.

Blaze looked in the envelope and whistled. It was filled with one hundred dollar gift cards. He counted them. Shocked Blaze said "There's two thousand dollars' worth of gift cards in here."

Matt nodded "For music she said." His voice soft and in awe Matt added "Sam always said Bella knew what he needed before he did. That Bella always knew. I believe him now. Bella must be his guardian angel on earth."

Placing a small bag on the bed Blaze said "Get dressed. I brought you clean clothes." Then he started to move the items off Matt's lap as he continued "Blondie was showing signs of waking Patch said. We can take all this to his room."

Matt didn't need to be told twice. He dressed in record time and the two were headed to Sam's room in no time flat. Matt's face was firmly set with a huge smile. Now he had the means to help Sam. He could find just the right music for Sam to help him come back to them.

* * *

 _ **Base – Colonel Sutton's Office**_

Colonel Sutton hung up the phone. This morning had been jam packed already. He told the General's staff to redirect all calls to him until further notice. Dr. Jasper had called last night to inform him that he laced Will's coffee with a sedative last night so the man got some sleep.

Tom didn't see the General in the office at six this morning so he assumed he was still sleeping peacefully. Will needed the sleep in the worst way. But he was a stubborn man. Although he would not want to be Jasper if Will ever found out about the laced coffee. Jasper had more guts then him to do something like that. But then Jasper always did.

Jasper was the only one of their unit that dared yell at Will. He could give him what for like no other. What always surprised him was that Will would stand for it. But he shouldn't have been surprised because Jasper only let loose when Will did something stupid or pigheaded.

His phone rang again. Picking it up Tom answered "Sutton."

 _["Hey Tom, its Jay" Major Jay Pearce said.]_

"Jay it's good to hear your voice. Funny you should call. I was just thinking about the old unit. How are you doing?" Sutton asked.

 _["Doing good. How are Will and his boy doing?" Jay asked with genuine concern in his voice for his old friend.]_

"Could be better. This has been tough on Will. Sam's in rough shape. Not sure if he will make it back to us. Rehab is going to be a bitch. Those bastards did a number on his feet" Tom answered truthfully.

 _[Jay sighed "I'm sorry to hear that. Braddock's are tough so I wouldn't give up hope yet. We've seen Will survive some things that would kill other men. His son is from the same stock and the fact he survived three months there says a lot. So I have hope Sam will make it back."]_

There was a knock on the Colonel's door and he said "Hang on a moment Jay." To the door he called "Enter."

A staff member brought him a stack of reports. Sutton motioned to put them down on his desk. To Jay he said "Hey Jay I'd love to chat but I've got a desk full of reports that need my attention. Was this purely a social call or did you need something else?"

 _[Jay answered "It is both. I was calling because I need you to reassign someone to my command."]_

"Who and why?" Sutton asked.

 _["Corporal Mark Vinson. He's my wife's best friend's boy. I promised to look out for him. Not sure how he ended up assigned under Plouffe since I put in a request for him when he graduated from training. God I can't stand that he is under Plouffe right now. Can you make it happen quickly?" Jay asked.]_

Tom laughed "God you and Plouffe have never gotten along."

 _["He's a complete and utter ass. Not quite sure how he ever passed the psych eval. I'll never forgive him for shooting me in the back of the leg. Ended my field work days" Jay ground out.]_

"You know he was cleared in that friendly fire shooting. That mission bullets were flying everywhere" Sutton said in a placating tone. Everything added up and there was no proof it was on purpose. But Plouffe and Pearce had a fierce rivalry and hated each other's guts. Which made him suspicious of Plouffe. It was one reason he kept Plouffe in Kandahar. It was easier to kept him on a short tight leash here than in the Sudan.

 _[Blowing out a harsh breath Jay said "Yeah so, I still believe different though I can't prove it." Plouffe had been a sniper eons ago. Whenever their units did a mission together Pearce felt like he always had a target on his back when Plouffe was in his perch. Refocusing on his call's purpose Jay asked "Can you transfer Vinson for me?"]_

Sutton pulled up the roster of men and scanned it "Yeah I should be able to make that happen. The unit he is assigned to is not mission ready yet. The new Sergeant is due in one more week. I just got off the phone with the Sergeant and granted him one extra week leave because his wife went into labor just before he was set to leave. At least he will get a chance to meet his child before he heads over again. I have another unassigned sniper and I can swap him and Vinson out."

 _["Great, when can you send him?" Jay asked relieved that Mark would not be under Plouffe's command much longer.]_

Hearing the relief in his friends voice Sutton smiled "Is today soon enough for you?"

 _["That would be good" Jay said when he really wanted to yell hot damn that's faster than I dared hope.]_

"I'll call him to my office in a bit and give him his transfer paperwork and get him on the afternoon plane. Anything else?" Sutton asked.

 _["No Sir. Thank you Tom" Major Pearce said sincerely.]_

They both hung up and the Colonel buzzed his aide and said "Get transfer paperwork started for Corporal Mark Vinson. I'm transferring him to Major Pearce in the Sudan. Get someone to locate Vinson and send him to my office pronto. He leaves this afternoon."

* * *

 _ **Base Hospital – Sam's Room**_

Sam woke and he was in hell or at least it sounded very close to it. He groaned. Matt took his hand immediately. Blaze stood and came to the bed and pressed the call button to get Blondie some pain medicine.

Matt said "Sam I'm here. Pain meds are coming."

Sam groaned again and flicked his eyes open. In a gravelly sleepy voice Sam said "Turn that shit off Matt."

Matt looked at Sam in disbelief then burst out laughing "Oh man but I know how much you looove soft rock."

Glaring at Matt Sam stated "Don't know how you stand it. Captain and Tennille really? You're killing me. Turn it off."

Laughing Matt said "At least you know the artist."

"Only because you forced me to listen to that crap for three damned hours on the drive to Petawawa" Sam groused. A soft moan escaped and Sam winced as he tried to lift his arms wanting to plug his ears.

Blaze smiled. Blondie was bantering with Matt. God that felt good. But then he saw the wince and heard the moan and asked "What's your pain level Blondie?"

Sam turned his head and looked at Blaze "Seven without that shit. Fifteen with it on."

Grinning Blaze turned off the music and said "Good to have you back kid. Can I get you anything?"

"Water" Sam said his mouth feeling cottony.

The nurse came in and smiled "I have pain meds right here." She held up the syringe.

Sam went rigid. He shouted "NO. NO NEEDLES. GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME. NO. NO. NOOOOO." He began to try and get out of bed to get away. He hissed and groaned in intense pain.

Matt grabbed Sam before he could fall out of bed. Blaze rushed the nurse and backed her out of the room.

Outside the room Blaze said urgently "Give us a minute and go get Dr. Parker."

The nurse nodded with her eyes wide and in shock. She stammered out "I'm sorry."

Blaze said kindly "Just get Dr. Parker. We will sort out what happened." Then he turned and reentered the room.

Matt was holding Sam as Sam shook violently and tears coursed down his face. "She's gone Sam. It's okay. Relax. Please. I'm here. Shhh. You are safe. Not going to let anyone hurt you anymore. Shhh" Matt whispered in Sam's ear.

Blaze and Matt stared at one another over Sam's head. What the hell both were asking silently. The reaction to the needle had been extreme. Then both recalled all the small circular wounds all over Sam's body. Shit.

Sam started to calm but the shaking continued and he kept his eyes tightly closed. He managed to get out "No needles. No more needles please."

Blaze stated firmly "No needles I promise you Blondie."

Matt reached out to the laptop with one hand and switched on the music again. He changed it to the classical music he had been playing yesterday. He felt Sam start to calm and the shaking reduce.

Sam let the music invade his every sense. He focused on it alone and let the external world disappear. It was only the music and his own thoughts. It was soft and soothing. Matt brought him music again. Matt had not left him.

Yesterday they had talked and Matt told him everything the unit did to find him. He was shocked they went rogue to find him and defied orders. Blaze did not do that. He was by the book. To know they all willingly chose to do that and risk their lives and careers made him feel wanted.

He was also surprised the General did not throw the book at them. It was weird. Well not really. The General respected the other soldiers so would cut them some slack. Especially soldiers of their caliber. The words ' _we've invested too much in your training'_ came to mind as the rationale the General would use not to send the unit to prison.

However, the General wouldn't cut him slack. Him never. The General would never be satisfied with what he did. He would never be good enough. Ever since he failed to protect Sara all love and care for him ceased. He was a son no more, only a soldier expected to carry on the Braddock tradition. Well hell with tradition, that would die with him.

The eldest son of the eldest son decided not to have any children. This line of the Braddock's would die out. It was a compromise he had decided upon yesterday after talking with Matt.

Sam was stunned when Matt confessed he had contemplated suicide too when they could not find him. It hurt to think that Matt would do that. That Matt was drawn back into a dark place because of him. That his failure in getting captured cause Matt so much pain. Then when he found out why Matt had not visited him for days it hurt again.

He decided he would try to live and regain his life. To get through the pain and get back to the unit. Get back to his chosen family. The ones that cared if he lived or died.

So he would follow orders as usual and not commit suicide. The General would win this battle. But he would not win the war. If he couldn't kill himself then at least he could kill this line of the Braddock tree.

Sam tried to pull back from Matt but was too weak. Matt saw what Sam was trying to do and felt the shaking stop. Gently he laid him back on the bed.

Blaze had poured a cup of water while Matt held Blondie. When Sam was on the pillow again he said quietly "Blondie I have your water."

Opening his eyes Sam looked to Matt then to Blaze. He was worried he would see pity but all he saw was concern. He said "Thanks." He meant it for not only the water but for everything.

Blaze grinned and carefully lifted Sam's head and put the straw to his mouth. Sam drank it all and asked for more. Blaze poured another cup and Sam was just finishing it when Dr. Parker entered the room.

When the nurse had informed him of what happened in the room Jasper's suspicions that Sam had been tortured with needles was confirmed. There was nothing else that would account for the thousands of tiny circles all over Sam's body. Nor his reaction to the needle.

Coming close to the bed Dr. Parker said "Good to see you awake Sam. I would like to check you over. Do I have your permission?" Jasper knew that it was critical to give Sam control over his body as much as he possibly could. That control had been stripped from him for months. The path to recovery would require he got that control back.

Sam nodded. Dr. Parker began his exam and explained everything before he did it and asked permission to proceed. The music was nice and low and seemed to relax Sam. That was good.

When he was done he said "First thing Sam. I have given orders that all medications that can be given orally will be in the future. For the pain meds and sedation we will use the IV line. We will not display any needles to you. You will be given fair warning if awake and you can either close your eyes or we can drape the area. Which would you prefer?"

Sam answered "I can close my eyes."

"Okay. Next. Those casts have been on for three weeks now. Later today we will take you down to remove them and do some x-rays. We need to see how they are healing. We may have to put you back in hard casts or possibly walking boots. But even then you will not be putting any weight on them yet. We will continue the mobility exercises from your bed. The gashes are healing nicely. I know it is painful to clean them but we are preventing infection and that is paramount."

Blaze interjected "Patch was hoping that Blondie might agree to sedation in the evenings and that the cleaning of the wounds could take place after he was out."

Matt turned to Sam and said "I know you don't like to be sedated but it would allow Patch to do what he needed without you feeling all the pain. You've had so much already buddy. You could use some relief. Also you could sleep like last night without nightmares. The more sleep the faster you will heal and get out of here. What do you say? Will you allow the sedation?"

Sam considered it for several minutes. He was so tired of pain. But he hated being sedated.

Matt played his ace card seeing Sam teetering close to refusing "For me please. It hurts me seeing you in so much pain."

Locking his blue eyes on Matt's green eyes he read the truth. He did not want to hurt Matt. Reluctantly Sam answered "Yeah I'll do the sedation at night only."

"Good. I'll write the orders for that" Dr. Parker said.

Matt looked over to Blaze. Blaze grinned and mouthed 'thanks'.

Then Dr. Parker continued informing Sam of his condition "Sam you are severely malnourished. I want to see you regain your weight but slowly. Your stomach and intestines have suffered from lack of food and the beatings and needles. We need to take it slow to reintroduce foods. I'll start you on clear liquids and then we will move to soft foods. When you are able to handle those without a problem we will remove the feeding tube."

Sam looked at the doctor "Can't we just remove it now?"

"No I'm sorry Sam. You need the nutrients you are getting through it. We will get it out as soon as possible. I promise you that" Dr. Parker stated.

Sam nodded. Not happy but it was better than starving every day. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes because he was tired.

If laying in the bed talking for a few minutes tired him out Sam was not looking forward to the rehab. He knew it would exhaust him. But he would do it because he hated being completely dependent for every little thing. He absolutely hated being in the hospital and Sam could tell it would weeks before he would see the world outside these four walls. That in itself was depressing.

Sam let out a soft depressed sigh.

Matt heard Sam and knew where his thoughts were at. Turning to Dr. Parker Matt asked "Would it be possible for us to take Sam outside a few times each day?" He thought a change of view would be healing for Sam and it would help Sam cope with being in the hospital too.

"That sounds like a superb idea Matt. Only short jaunts though. Sam tires quickly. I'm thinking you are about ready for a nap right now Sam" Jasper said.

Sam struggled to open his eyes.

Blaze said "Just rest kid. Do you need something for the pain? You were at seven."

Sam mumbled "Yeah" with his eyes closed.

Dr. Parker said "Okay. Keep your eyes closed and I'll administer the meds."

Sam's eyes remained closed. He couldn't have opened them even if he wanted to. Exhaustion and the drugs combined swiftly forcing Sam to sleep.

Dr. Parker looked to Blaze and Matt and said "I'm not sure what you guys did but thank you. I'm sure we will see improvement quickly now that he is passed wanting to die. I will check back later this afternoon after I have the results of the x-rays. If there are any problems just get the nurse to page me."

Both Matt and Blaze nodded then Dr. Parker headed out.

Blaze said "I'm going to grab some shut eye now. I'll let the guys know that Blondie agreed to the sedation and about his reaction to needles."

Matt sat back down "Tell them about the MP3 and laptop too. Maybe after the x-rays Sam might be up to watching part of a movie."

"Will do. I'll be sending Mason and Winds back so you make sure to get your rest too" Blaze stated.

Matt only nodded in response as he had already started working on the playlist again. It had to be right.

As he worked Matt recalled their drive to Petawawa years ago. He chuckled to himself thinking how he had bugged Sam by playing Captain and Tennille songs over and over for three hours. By the end of the trip Sam was singing along with him. But Sam vowed he would punch Matt if he ever forced him to listen to Captain and Tennille again.

Grinning at the good memory Matt erased all the Captain and Tennille songs he had already added to Sam's MP3. He kept them on his new MP3 player though. He loved them but Sam _really_ disliked them.


	14. So Close Again, Sprung & A Bit of Heaven

**So Close Again, Sprung & A Bit of Heaven**

* * *

 _ **Four Days Later – Humvee Returning From Mission – Sudan**_

Corporal Mark Vinson sat in the back of the Humvee with two of his new unit mates up front. He liked this unit a lot. Their CO, Lieutenant Jackson Spencer, known to them as Trigger, was a first class leader.

The rest of the unit men were high caliber men too. He was content to just listen to Buzz and Dutch as they bantered back and forth. Those two were long time buddies and best friends and teased each other often.

Vinson was accepted right off by this unit. They code named him Viper because he shot a horned viper from his perch that was about to strike Trigger. He took its head clean off. He smiled.

This was much better than where he was before. He hadn't met Major Pearce yet because his unit was sent out on a mission as soon as he landed. It was critical. They had been successful too.

Things were looking real good for him now. He didn't have to worry if he was gonna be murdered by a unit mate in his sleep. He had actually slept well last night even though it was only a short break as they hiked out of the target zone to the hidden Humvees.

Although it still bugged him that he was not able to get word to Braddock's unit about what he overheard. He didn't have time. He had been called into Colonel Sutton's office and given his new orders with only thirty minutes to grab his gear.

He would have told the Colonel but Major Plouffe showed up just as he was about to say something. The Colonel had dismissed him quickly and ordered Plouffe into his office and promptly closed the door. Then he had to rush off to pack to make it to the plane on time.

Writing a letter to Lieutenant Blain might be an option. But it scared him to put it in writing because he was not sure the mail would be secure. Something like this had to have a secure communication channel.

Vinson leaned back in the Humvee and sighed. He would figure out how. He just needed some time. Vinson was sure an opportunity would present itself.

His attention returned to the conversation Buzz and Dutch were having.

Dutch was finally coming down off the mission and his grip on the steering wheel was lessening as a result. During a mission he and Buzz never discussed personal things because they liked to stay completely focused on the mission. It had saved their lives many times. So it had become a superstition with them. Something they adhered too religiously.

But now that the mission was completed Dutch lamented "Damn I wish we didn't get transferred to the Sudan six weeks ago. I would have liked to been there when his unit brought him in. Damn glad they went rogue. I'm relieved too that the General sanctioned their actions. Even if it was after the fact."

Buzz asked "You think when we get leave we can travel there and check on him?"

Dutch grinned "I'm sure we can but I don't think we are getting leave for a long time given the shit that is going on here. It's been way too long since we saw or talked to the pup."

Then Dutch finally shared the details of a call he had just before they had to leave for the mission. "You know Wilson called just before we left. I didn't have a chance to tell you about it."

Smiling at the mention of their old CO Buzz asked "What did he have to say. I hope all is well with him and Bella. We got to make sure and visit him soon too."

"Wilson is doing good. But he said that Bella was beside herself when she got a call from the General's brother asking her to send some things to Sam. Well actually to Matt for Sam. Asked her to write a letter so that they would think the items came from her" Dutch said.

Buzz looked at him questioningly "What items?"

Dutch shared "A couple of MP3 players and a laptop."

"Why?" Buzz asked.

"Seems that Matt thinks music will be good for Sam. They are hard to get as you know. The General made arrangements with his brother to fly in the package directly" Dutch explained.

Shaking his head Buzz said "No I meant why would they be sent via Bella? Why wouldn't General Braddock just deliver them himself? Why the subterfuge?"

Vinson's ears perked up.

Dutch blew out a breath "Wilson said the General screwed up again. He ordered Sam not to commit suicide instead of showing he cares. Damn he tries but he screws it up so badly. And those two are always at loggerheads. Too much screwed up between them. You remember what Wilson said when we came to help Sam that summer."

Buzz closed his eyes and rubbed his temples "Yeah I remember. This has been screwed up since Sam was nine. Nothing anyone tells him changes what he believes. Sara's death fucked with Sam's mind. I bet the General was dying a bit each day Sam was in captivity. God I wish one day that Sam and his dad work it out. Can you imagine the team they would make if they could just get along? Badass and Badass Jr."

Nodding Dutch responded "Yeah that would be awesome to see them in action together. I hope someday it gets resolved. But for now sending those things to Sam from Bella is the best. Sam will accept them from Bella instead of trashing them if they came from his dad."

Dutch sighed heavily "I wish we could go see how Sam is doing right now."

Buzz asked "Did Wilson say anything about his injuries? Are the rumors true?"

"Yeah, the rumors about Sam being whipped and beaten nearly to death are true. His feet are in pretty bad shape. I can't imagine what three months of captivity did to his mind too. He may not make it back. Sam has a lot of healing both mentally and physically to do" Dutch responded.

Buzz slammed his fist on the dash "God dammit, if we hadn't talked him into joining. If only we had encouraged him to stick it out with the police department or transfer to another city. Dammit I feel responsible."

Dutch put a hand on his shoulder "Easy Buzz. It is not our fault. You can't go carrying guilt for an action not your own. Sam was just unlucky to be caught. It's a risk we all take. Snipers most of all since they are alone in their perch so often. Matt and Sam's unit will take care of Sam regardless of whether he makes it back or not. They won't let him down. It's not like the police department. They have his back. We have his back even if from afar."

Vinson couldn't believe his luck. He smiled. He had a way to warn Braddock. He cleared his throat "You guys know Sam Braddock?"

Buzz turned to Viper. He was a great addition to the unit. Buzz grinned broadly "Known that pup since he was sixteen. I taught him Judo and Dutch here taught him how to not get lost. Why? You know him?"

Vinson started "Not really I just …"

BOOM!

The Humvee rolled three times due to the force of the IED blast. The three were thrown about the interior like rag dolls. When the Humvee settled on its roof all three soldiers were unconscious and bleeding.

* * *

 _ **Two Weeks Later – Base Hospital – Sam's Room**_

Sam sat on the side of his bed letting his casted feet dangle waiting to be sprung from the hospital. He was so ready to blow this joint. Five weeks here was more than long enough in his book.

Somehow Patch had talked the doctor into allowing him to move to the unit's barracks. He would continue his physical therapy at the hospital but he was allowed to room with the guys.

They would take him to and from his therapy sessions and checkups because he was not allowed to walk yet. He was sorely tempted to try and stand. But Dr. Parker was insistent that he not do it yet. Said he could set himself back and do more damage. The doctor even threatened to keep him in the hospital longer.

Sam was not about to let that happen so here he sat waiting to be sprung by the guys. The other reason he waited was that in truth he was still weak as a kitten and unlikely to be able to hold himself up. His strength was returning now that he was eating solid foods.

Although very small portions at frequent intervals. Sam was not sure how the guys did it but the food was actually good. It was not the normal crap the hospital was known for. And some of it was stuff he liked. It made eating less of a chore.

And it was a chore. His stomach rebelled almost every time. He was sick of feeling nauseated and having stomach pains as his food digested. Dr. Parker said it would lessen over time. But for Sam he wished it would happen sooner rather than later. The only thing that seemed to settle easy on him was jell-o. But he was getting sick of it. A nice pizza or burger sounded good but the doc said they were too greasy for him yet.

Sam sighed, so many restrictions and conditions. It was so depressing not being able to do what he wanted and eat what he wanted.

The last weeks had been tough. Beyond the physical issues his mind was still muddled sometimes. He awoke often thinking he was still in that hell hole. He was still beating himself up for attacking Matt, Winds and Ripsaw on separate occasions. Each time he had awoken thinking they were trying to hurt him and his survival instinct had kicked in.

Luckily in his weakened state he had not hurt them badly. He had suspicions he was the one responsible for Mason's wrist brace too. But Mason simply shook his head.

Mason had taken to calling him Sunshine when he was in his darkest moods. It pissed him off at first. In one of his worst moods he had retaliated and called him Gorgeous.

He was in such a foul mood and wanted to strike out and hurt someone because he was hurting so badly. Mason's face had once made women swoon. He could have been a GQ model. But that scar from the Humvee and IED had disfigured his face leaving a horrible scar.

As soon as it left his mouth Sam was sorry he said it. Sorry he had lashed out at his brother in such a cruel way. He began to tear up and was about to apologize for being such an absolute ass. But instead of being pissed off at him Mason had laughed deeply and for a very long time. Mason had hugged him and said only you can call me Gorgeous.

It had actually lightened his mood some. Now whenever he was sullen and Mason called him Sunshine he automatically called him Gorgeous. It helped. Sam was not sure why but it did.

And leaving the hospital was going to help his mood too. Sam wished the guys would get here soon.

His wish was granted as Patch opened the door and peeked in "Hey you ready Blondie?"

"Been ready for an hour. What kept you?" Sam said a little petulantly. Being dependent on everyone still stuck in his craw even though he appreciated everything they did for him.

Patch just grinned and opened the door wider.

Matt came in with a huge grin on his face "We couldn't let you leave in just any wheelchair. Took a bit of doing to make it right." He stepped to Sam's side.

Winds pushed in a standard hospital wheelchair that was completely decked out. They had tied red and white balloons on the back. The seat and back were not just a plastic one. They had pillows covered in camo tied to them so they would not move or slide off. The leg rests where his feet would sit were padded too. They had attached a water bottle holder on one side and a pouch on the other.

Sam shook his head looking from Matt to Winds to Mason to Ripsaw to Patch and then to Blaze. These guys had done so much for him lately. He was lucky to have brothers like this. A small smile appeared as he said "Guys you shouldn't have."

They all grinned. It was good to see Blondie smile even if it was little and didn't reach his eyes. The smiles were happening a little more frequently these days but still nowhere near like what they used to be. It was a slow process to bring him back. But they all knew they were making progress.

Mason came up to his bed "Ready to transfer?"

Sam nodded "Yeah. Can't wait to blow this joint."

Dr. Parker walked in as Sam was getting situated in the wheelchair. He grinned. Sam was his favorite patient. Sam had made such amazing progress.

The gashes all except for half a dozen very deep ones had healed over. The daily movements to prevent scar tissue still hurt him but he did them without fail. Sam was slowly regaining his weight. The eating concerned him but his buddies had gone to great lengths to bring Sam food he would eat.

Dr. Parker had been able to remove the IV line because Sam drank enough water to stay hydrated. But they inserted a picc line in his upper arm to administer pain meds and the sedatives so no needles were needed. That would remain in place for several more weeks until they transitioned Sam to oral pain meds and they could ensure his mind was leveling out. But for now he wanted to have the line in case they needed to sedate him quickly like they had to several days ago.

Sam's mind had him trapped in that place. He was having hallucinations and went after Matt. It had really upset Sam when he woke from the sedation that he had hurt Matt. Just like it upset him when he realized he attacked Winds and Ripsaw. Without a way to quickly sedate him he could do real damage to himself and others now that his strength was returning.

Sleeping was still an issue. Sam was plagued by nightmares as was expected but they were slowly reducing in frequency. They had been able to reduce the sedation to only a light sleeping aid over the past week. Jasper was hoping the change in location would help because progress with the emotional issues was slower than the physical ones.

His arm looked very good when they x-rayed it last and the cast should be coming off for good next week. Sam's feet were doing well too though only the physical therapy would tell if he would get full motion back. He had opted to put Sam in the soft walking boot casts after x-raying so they were able to start light, gentle mobility exercises on his feet a few days ago. Sam would be starting physical therapy on his feet next week.

Jasper smiled at the wheelchair and said "Sam you know that the condition for you to leave the hospital is that you use the chair one hundred percent of the time. No walking unless it is under the physical therapist's direction."

Sam nodded "I'd agree to just about anything to get out of here doc. You have my word. No walking."

"Good." Turning to Patch he added "You have my direct line if you need anything." Handing him a locked box he said "Here are his meds. Keep them locked in the barracks."

Nodding Patch took the box. They all understood why. It wasn't worry that Blondie would get into them and overdose on them. It had more to do with other soldiers wanting a drug fix. Their unit had a separate room but he would keep this under lock in his locker too.

Patch asked "When was your last dose Blondie?"

"I'm good about an hour ago. Can we go now?" Sam said impatiently.

Blaze took hold of the wheelchair "Let's go."

* * *

 _ **Base Mess Hall**_

Sam was surprised they did not go straight to the barracks as he thought they would. He was a little self-conscious about being pushed in a wheelchair into the mess hall. Blaze pushed him to a table that was empty. Those in the mess turned to look at him as he passed. He felt on display and didn't like it one bit.

"Guys can't we just go to the barracks?" Sam said as his face reddened a bit in embarrassment.

Matt sat down at the table next to where Blaze pushed Sam in at the end of the table. As the others sat Matt said "In a bit. We have a little surprise for you and someone we want you to meet."

A huge hulk of a man approached the table with a large tray. His skin was black as night. His biceps bulged. His strong chiseled face was set in a smile. Sam noticed the man had short military cropped hair and kind brown eyes as he set the tray down in front of him. He looked familiar.

Matt said "Sam this is Jarmal Tate. Jarmal has been the one to fix all your meals for you."

Sam put out his hand out to shake and Jarmal took it and gently shook his hand "Nice to finally meet you Sam. I'm glad you made it out of the hospital."

He was sure he had met Jarmal before. Sam said "Thanks for the meals Jarmal. They were good." He couldn't get it out of his mind he finally asked "Do I know you? I'm sorry if I forgot, my mind is a little scrambled lately."

Shaking his head Jarmal said "No you don't know me but I know you. When you were a cop in Toronto you arrested my older brother for attempting to rob a gas station. He was only seventeen and had a stick he was pretending was a gun. You didn't shoot him outright like a lot of cops would have. You made him show you his weapon. You saw it was a stick."

"It was the best thing that could have happened to him. They sent him to a diversion program and he got away from the gang. That robbery was supposed to be his initiation. He became a firefighter. Set a good example for me and our younger brothers. None of us ended up in gangs because of you" Jarmal shared.

Sam looked at Jarmal stunned "D'Ante Tate."

"Yeah that's my brother" Jarmal said with a grin.

"Wow. You know he was my very first arrest. I was shaking in my boots that day. I was so relieved when it was just a stick" Sam said. Then he added "So you ended up in the Army."

Jarmal smiled "Yep. Travone is going to Law school. He was always the smartest of us all and Marquise joined the Navy. Me I love to cook and thought I'd do a few years in the Army and save up to open my own business one day."

Sam looked at the tray in front of him. There was a small chocolate cake. One small burger and six very large ones and a variety of other items. Sam looked back to Jarmal and said "Thank you. I've been dying for a burger."

Jarmal grinned then said "Patch said you would like it but says you can't have greasy stuff so I made it with extra lean beef. The little bite sized one is for you. You tell Patch what you want to eat while you are recovering and I'll make sure you get it. Enjoy." With that Jarmal headed back to the kitchen.

Sam picked up his burger and took a small bite. He sighed enjoying it. It was a little bit of heaven.

The guys reached for their burgers as they watched the smile on Blondie's face finally reach his eyes.


	15. Where Am I?, Unthinkable and Rage,

**Where Am I?, Unthinkable and Rage,** **Murphy's** **Sick Humor & All Too Much**

* * *

 _ **Hospital – Sudan – Vinson's Room**_

Major Pearce, Trigger, Buzz and Dutch were standing outside Viper's hospital room talking with the doctor. The IED that flipped their Humvee two weeks ago had injured all three of them but Viper the most. Buzz and Dutch ended up with concussions and minor lacerations.

Viper ended up with a fractured skull. It was touch and go for the past few weeks. The doctors had put him in a drug induced coma as they waited for the swelling to go down.

The doctor was relating his latest status "… so as I said the swelling has reduced significantly. I stopped the sedation last night and expect him to be waking shortly. That's why I called. Corporal Vinson will likely be a bit disoriented when he wakes and it would be nice if he saw a few faces he knew when he wakes."

Dutch said "Can we go in now?"

The doctor nodded "Yes but please remember to keep it quiet and calm. When he wakes press the call button and the nurse will get me."

Major Pearce asked "When he wakes will you be sending him home to recuperate?"

"Yes. With the swelling down it will be safe for him to travel. I'll be sending him to the Ottawa base hospital. He will need at least two months off for the fracture to heal. But the doctors there will be the ones to determine when he is ready and able to return to active duty" the doctor explain.

The four men then entered the room. Major Pearce went close to the bed. He had been upset that right after the transfer the Corporal had been injured. Under his watch. He was supposed to be looking out for him. Jay blew out a frustrated breath.

Trigger heard the Major and said "Sir it happens. We all know the risks. We accept them. The kid is going to be fine Sir."

Dutch sat heavily in the chair and said in a low voice "If anyone is to blame it is me. I was driving and I'm the one that ran over the IED."

Buzz placed a hand on his shoulder "What have you always told me Dutch? It is not our fault. You did not plant the IED. You can't go carrying guilt for an action not your own. We were just unlucky to be the ones to hit it. It's a risk we all take for the greater good."

Dutch looked at the man who was more than just his best friend. They had been through so much together. They could always count on each other. When they finally retired they would be able to openly acknowledge the feelings and love that they held for one another. For now though he just nodded.

He let Buzz's words which were an eerie echo of his words just before the IED exploded sink in. Just as he had been right about not feeling guilt regarding Sam's capture and torture so too was Buzz right about not feeling guilt about Viper's injuries.

Trigger whispered "He's waking" as he pressed the call button.

All four gathered around the bed.

Vinson blinked his eyes open. His head hurt. Slowly his eyes focused. They landed on four men. He recognized the rank insignias. There was a Major, a Lieutenant, a Warrant Officer and a Sergeant. The Lieutenant was the first to speak to him.

Trigger looked at the confusion on Vinson's face and said gently "It's okay Viper. You are in the hospital. Just relax a moment. The doctor will be here shortly."

Vinson wondered why the Lieutenant called him Viper. His throat felt scratchy and dry like he had not taken a drink in a long time. He tried to speak. "What …" came out dry and rough. He swallowed trying to wet his throat.

Buzz reached for a cup and poured water then held it for Viper as he took some sips. "Bet that feels a little better. Your throat must be rather dry after two weeks Viper."

Vinson accepted the water from the Sergeant. It did feel better. But there was that name again. Once his throat was wet he managed "Where am I and why are you calling me Viper? My name is Vinson. Corporal Mark Vinson."

Buzz, Dutch and Trigger looked at one another. Dutch spoke this time "You are Viper. I gave you that call sign when you blew the head off the horned viper that nearly bit Trigger." He motioned to Lieutenant Spencer.

Vinson stared at the Warrant Officer "I don't know what you are talking about. Where am I?"

Major Pearce spoke "Corporal you are in the hospital in the Sudan. You were injured with your unit when an IED exploded under your Humvee on the way back from your mission. What do you remember?"

The doctor entered as Vinson became agitated his head rose from the pillow trying to sit up. The heartrate monitors started beeping as his heart rate increased dramatically. How the hell did he get to the Sudan? What unit? What mission? He looked at the five men in his hospital room and his voice came out soft and unsure "You mean I'm not in Special Forces training in Ottawa?"

The doctor gently but firmly prevented Vinson from rising any further as he said "You need to calm down. Relax and slow your breathing." As the monitors began to settle and Vinson's heartrate slowed a bit he added "You've had a head wound. A fractured skull to be exact. It is not unexpected that you may be having trouble remembering. I will run some tests and we will find out."

Vinson sunk back on the pillow. He looked to the Major "Sir how much time have I lost?"

Major Pearce answered "A few months. Let's let the doctor do his tests and then we will talk."

Vinson nodded.

Several hours later the doctor returned to give them his findings. Major Pearce, Trigger, Buzz and Dutch had stayed with Vinson while waiting for the results. They found out that Vinson's last recollection was about three weeks prior to his graduation from Special Forces training. He remembered nothing since then. It was gone.

The doctor looked to Vinson and explained "You have suffered what we call retrograde amnesia. In your case as with most injuries of this type your episodic memory was affected but your semantic memory and procedural memory were not. That means you still remember general knowledge and skills but your memory of specific events of your life have been affected. With retrograde amnesia it is often temporally graded, which means that your longer term memories are more easily accessible than events that occurred just recently."

Buzz asked "Will he get those memories back?"

"It is possible. There is no actual cure for retrograde amnesia. Those memories may come back eventually" the doctor stated. With a gentle smile he said "If it is any consolation you have only lost a few months of memories. Usually my patients lose years if not decades of memories."

Vinson asked "Does this injury preclude me from returning to Special Forces?"

Shaking his head the doctor said "Not outright. As I said you still retain all your skills and factual knowledge. However it will be up to the doctors in Ottawa to give you the green light to return to active duty. I will be starting your paperwork to transfer you to the base hospital there. We should have you out on the medical flight in two days. Do you have any more questions?"

Vinson shook his head.

Trigger patted Vinson's shoulder "You work on getting well. Your spot in my unit will be waiting for you Viper. You proved yourself a valuable member of this unit."

"Thanks Sir" Vinson responded.

"Not Sir, call me Trigger" Lieutenant Spencer said with a smile.

"Yes Sir. I mean Trigger" Vinson said with a half-smile.

Buzz and Dutch nodded and Dutch said "We'll keep you company for the next few days since we are still on medical leave."

Major Pearce asked "Would you like me to contact your family and let them know you will be in Ottawa shortly?"

Vinson nodded "Yes Sir. Thank you. I bet my mom and dad are going nuts. I hate to worry them."

"I'll arrange for you to put in a call to them if you would like" Trigger stated.

"Thanks that would be good. But later please I'm a bit tired now and my head feels like a jackhammer is going off in it" Vinson said as he closed his eyes.

The doctor said "I'll send the nurse in with some pain medication. You rest now." Turning to the others he said "He needs his rest. You can come back later during visiting hours."

The men nodded and all five filed out of the room.

Vinson opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. He was ill at ease. Something was eating at his gut. Something important he needed to remember.

The pretty nurse came in and smiled at her patient. Such a handsome man she thought but softly said "Just going to give you some pain relief. It will make you sleepy." She injected the medication.

Slipping off to sleep Vinson stopped trying to rack his brain. He hoped it would come to him. The doctor said the memory might eventually return. He hoped it did.

* * *

 _ **One Week Later –**_ _ **Unit Barracks on Base – Kandahar**_

Sam lay staring at the ceiling. Today was only half over and he was hurting badly. Physical therapy on his feet had started this morning and he had not expected it to hurt so much just trying to stand up. A deep ache in his feet and occasional shooting pains made it impossible to sleep after lunch.

He needed rest before his second session of therapy later this afternoon. They separated his feet and his upper body therapy sessions because he just did not have the stamina to do both in one session. But the pain in his feet was preventing him from sleeping. So Sam had given in and asked Patch for pain meds before Patch left for training thirty minutes ago.

Patch gave him oral meds and said they would take a bit longer to take effect. Sam was okay with that. He didn't like it when Patch used the picc line. It reminded him of needles and his body instantly responded by tensing all his muscles. It took time for his muscles to relax afterwards and left him aching and stiff.

As Sam lay waiting for the pain meds to kick in, he thought that this week had been a mix of highs and lows. It felt good to be out of the hospital but he was still dependent on the guys for almost everything.

One highlight was that he had enough strength now to transfer himself to his wheelchair. The therapist had worked on that first with him when he started upper body therapy earlier this week. But the low was that he needed the damned thing in the first place.

A high was that he had not struck out at any of the guys in the past week when waking from nightmares. However the low was that the nightmares continued to interrupt his sleep. He still woke several times every night sweating and often crying out. He always saw one face clearly. One bastard stood out more than the rest. The bastard that liked to torture him with burning hot needles.

Another high point was that the guys did not watch him like a hawk anymore expecting him to off himself at any given moment. The past three days he had spent some time alone each day which felt more normal. The unit was called in for refresh training in several areas. Colonel Sutton said it was as good a time as any for them to get it over with. The guys tried to ensure he was not alone but the last three days their training sessions overlapped and the guys could not avoid leaving him alone for short periods.

The low was that the thoughts of wanting to commit suicide had not completely left him; particularly when he was in his darkest moods. He kept that to himself though. No need to worry the guys since those very dark moods were getting fewer and farther between.

The music was helping with that. He had been surprised when Matt told him about Bella's gifts. He had written her a thank you note as he nibbled on one of the cookies.

Matt spent hours each day searching for and downloading what he called just the right music. He was building him several playlists. Matt said it would help him find the beauty of life again. Sam wasn't so sure about that. Some of the music was just weird shit and much of it he would normally not choose to listen too. But the classical music Matt played in the barracks at night did help him relax.

Over the past few days while the guys were gone he usually just laid in bed and listened to music or slept. Occasionally someone from one of the other units stopped in. He was sure that Blaze had arranged it to make sure he was okay when they all had to be away for more than two hours. But it was awkward because the guys that stopped by did not know quite what to say to him nor did he know what to say to them. Conversation was stilted at best.

Shy had come in just after Patch left today. He had sat on the edge of Matt's bed and tried to talk of mundane things. But Sam had seen Shy constantly glancing between his feet which were elevated at the end of his bed in his casts and his wheelchair.

His face was readable and Sam knew Shy was thinking that there was no way in hell Sam was making it back to his unit. Sam didn't say anything to Shy about it because he wondered the same damned thing. He had seen the physical therapist's face. The therapist tried to hide it but it was clear the therapist felt he was done.

The therapist's words were couched to try and hide that thought but they were not encouraging either. Mostly the therapist talked about how Sam might want to consider a change of job. To find one that didn't rely so much on his feet. Sam was glad when Shy did not stay long.

He preferred being alone than seeing the pity on the faces of the few who stopped by to say hi. He could not handle pitying looks anymore. He had fallen for that bastard's routine so many times. He had wanted someone to care about him so badly in that hell hole that his mind fell for it every time. So pity drove him nuts now when directed at him.

Sam looked at his watch. It would be about two hours before Matt would be back. Four hours before the rest of the guys returned. Sam tried to relax and go to sleep. But it just was not coming to him. Being cooped up in bed was grating on his nerves. It often seemed a bit like being held captive again minus the beatings and starvation.

Thinking about starvation, how his stomach had hurt so badly for so long Sam concentrated his mind on a positive thought. Thanks to Jarmal he was eating more now. Jarmal made things that he craved and modified them in a way that they met the doctor's guidelines. Like the french fries he made him. Instead of deep frying them he baked them nice and crisp. The doctor was right too and his stomach had started to calm down and he was having less difficultly eating.

Sam's mind drifted again. It was hard to stay focused on positives. His mind always led him back to the dark thoughts. The thoughts of being a worthless animal who deserved to be punished for just being born. Although he knew this to be false it was hard to silence the voices that still screamed those things to him over and over.

Trying hard to replace that thought with something positive Sam failed. He was drug down a path mentally where the feelings of being alone and worthless were real. They enveloped his mind. He rolled on his side and let the tears fall quietly. Sleep eventually took him because he was so worn out from his morning physical therapy session and the drugs were finally starting to take effect.

Sam awoke with dried tear streaks on his face and an urgent need to hit the bathroom. He checked his watch. It was a half hour before Matt would be back. He sat up and looked to where his wheelchair should be and it was gone. His eyes quickly scanned the entire room. What the fuck? Where the hell was his wheelchair? It was nowhere in the room.

The urgent need to piss was increasing and he could not wait for Matt. He contemplated for half a second to try and walk there. But his feet were still aching and the raw pain from this morning's physical therapy told him he would fall flat on his face if he tried.

Sam lowered himself to the floor and began to crawl. It was humiliating to crawl to the bathroom. This sucked. He made it three quarters of the way when he knocked his foot on the leg of Winds' bunk. It hurt so much he stopped moving and sucked in a breath. He panted trying to ride the wave of pain.

Then the unthinkable happened. He urinated on himself. Sam was mortified as he looked at his soaked shorts and the puddle beneath pooling around his knees. Deep seeded anger exploded and he grabbed Winds' bunk and upended it. On his knees Sam raged out loud. Roars of anger flowed out of him.

Sam was near Mason's locker and he began to slam his fists into the metal locker. Over and over again he punched with all his might as he screamed. He was making deep dents in the metal and chewing up his knuckles in the process.

He did not care. He did not feel the pain. Sam continued to punch until all his energy was spent. Then he fell to the floor his hands throbbing and panting for breath from his exertions.

Sam yelled at the top of his lungs "WHY? WHY? WHY?"

He stopped yelling and curled up. He was worthless. He was no better than an animal. Why else would all this shit happen to him? Only someone who was bad and worthless would be reduced to pissing himself because he couldn't fucking walk like a man to the bathroom.

* * *

 _ **Outside**_ _ **Unit Barracks on Base**_

Murphy smiled and laughed as he looked through the window. He had seen the opportunity to mess with the asshat when he passed by earlier. He saw Braddock was asleep and alone. He had orders from Plouffe to cool it with regard to Braddock because he did not remember being set up.

Braddock had finally given his statement to Plouffe and the Colonel of how he had been taken captive. The asshat didn't even say anything about him and Travis beating him up. Probably because it would have made him look bad in front of the brass. Braddock was supposed to be a hot shot Special Forces guy. He probably figured he could not let the brass know he couldn't defend himself against two.

So leaving out his and Travis from his retelling made sense to Murphy. Braddock only said he was in no shape to run after three days with little provisions and being immobile for so long. He said he was surrounded by many terrorists and quickly overpowered.

The Major had said based on that he would continue to use Braddock to get to the General. That maybe it was better this way. He had more slights to get revenge for. So Plouffe didn't want him to kill Braddock now. But messing with him was okay in Murphy's book.

He had slipped the wheelchair out of the room and then stayed to watch for a bit. He had seen the asshat sit up and then start crawling. That's where the asshat belonged. Crawling on the floor. He imagined Braddock crawling to him and begging for his miserable life. That was a good image.

Murphy could not believe his good fortune when a puddle appeared under Braddock and he saw his pants were soaked. He couldn't help laughing. Braddock had pissed his pants. This was more than he could have wished for.

Then he saw the tantrum and the bloodied fists. Murphy had to leave just after Braddock finished yelling why because several other guys were walking towards the barracks. With a smile on his face he went to go find Travis and tell him what he had just seen. They would share a good laugh.

* * *

 _ **Unit Barracks on Base**_

Matt opened the door to the barracks and found Sam on the floor curled up. He saw the overturned bed and damaged locker. As he crouched down next to Sam he smelled urine and then saw the puddle at the same time his eyes landed on Sam's bloodied fists. Matt instantly knew what happened and how it would have impacted Sam. His heart broke for Sam.

Softly he said "Sammy let's get you cleaned up."

Then he looked about the room. Where the hell was Sam's wheelchair? What the fuck? A low moan from Sam had him turning his attention back to Sam instantly.

"I'm here. I'm gonna lift you and take you to the shower. You'll be clean in no time Sam. No one will need to know" Matt said.

Sam whispered "I know. You know."

Matt brushed his hair once "True but it makes no difference to me Sam. I see your wheelchair is missing. Some asshole is going to pay for that. Mark my words. I will find out who did this to you and they will pay for making you crawl to the head."

Lifting Sam Matt still was taken aback at how much weight Sam had lost. Normally he would strain to carry his brother but not right now. He set Sam on the shower stool. He carefully undid the walking boot casts and put them just outside the shower stall. Then he carefully took off the long loose socks and set them on the boots. Matt then asked "Do you need help with the rest?"

Sam would not meet Matt's eyes as he kept his eyes downcast. Ashamed to be found in such a state. He mumbled "I can do it."

"Okay. I'll just go get you a towel and change of clothes. You holler if you need anything" Matt said then left Sam to shower. He went and got the things Sam needed and set them on the table next to the stool outside the shower. He laid out one of the towels on the stool.

Matt went back to the barracks and looked at the damage to the locker. Sam had really vented his rage on the poor thing. He set about putting the barracks back in order. He righted Winds' bed, cleaned up Sam's accident and wiped the blood off the locker and floor.

Hearing the shower on Matt went to the barrack's door and opened it. He looked around outside for Sam's wheelchair. He found it across the way pushed into the bushes so that it was mostly obscured. Who would do something so callous? It boggled his mind that someone would deliberately take Sam's wheelchair.

He pushed it inside and to the shower area. He gathered up the fouled shorts and t-shirt Sam had tossed out of the shower. He rinsed them so no urine smell was left, wrung them out then put them in Sam's dirty laundry bag. Then he went to Patch's locker and opened it. He got out the first aid kit and walked back to the shower. He called out "Almost done?"

His answer was the shower being turned off.

Matt handed in the towel as he said "Some asshole put your wheelchair in the bushes outside. Do you remember anyone coming in?"

Only a slight shake of Sam's head told Matt he had heard him. When Sam had dried off mostly Matt lifted him and set him on the stool with the towel on it just outside the shower. Matt turned his back to give Sam some privacy as Sam pulled on his loose basketball shorts. Sam had taken to going commando because it was easier to dress with one less item to try and get over his feet.

As Sam pulled his loose t-shirt over his head Matt put the socks back on his feet and then the walking boots. All through it Sam said not a word. That worried Matt. He lifted Sam and put him in the wheelchair.

Matt waited for Sam to wheel himself out. But Sam just sat there with his head down. Matt decided to tend Sam's hands here so he pulled over the stool and began to clean and bandage them. Sam did not react in anyway as the stinging antiseptic was applied. No hiss. No moan. Nothing.

Sam was freaking Matt out right about now. He asked "Sam you okay?" No response. He said "Let's get you back to bed to rest a bit before therapy."

Barely audible and not heard by Matt Sam whispered "What's the use? We both know I'm not making it back. I saw the physical therapist's face today."

Matt pushed Sam to his bed and waited for Sam to transfer himself. Sam had been doing it for the past two days. He was impressed by Sam's progress. He knew it was tough for him but Sam worked hard to make it happen. But right now Sam only sat with his head down with his wrapped hands lying in his lap.

Quietly Matt asked "Do you want to do it yourself or do you want me to move you to the bed?"

He got no answer. Matt realized that Sam's outburst on the locker had probably used up all his energy and his hands must be throbbing right now too. So Matt lifted Sam and gently set him on his bed.

Sam curled up on his side. He brought his knees up and wrapped his arms around them locking them into place. He could not face living as an invalid and the shame and embarrassment of pissing himself and being found lying in his own puddle of urine was overwhelming him.

He could imagine what the General would think of him lying in that puddle. The General would be disgusted with him and dress him down.

Sam could hear the General's icy tone saying something like 'A real Braddock would never have pissed themselves. You are a disgrace to the family. You are a constant embarrassment and failure. You will never measure up and I wish you had died instead of Sara. Hell you couldn't even die properly captivity. You had to survive and embarrass the family further by showing the world just how worthless you are. You can't even make it to the bathroom on your own'.

It was all just too much. The beauty of life Matt talked about just did not exist for him. He was worthless and unloved. Sam wanted to just curl up and die.

Matt squatted down and saw that there was emptiness in Sam's unfocussed eyes. Shit what was happening to Sam. He said "Sammy talk to me. It's okay. I promise to never tell anyone what happened here today. You have my solemn word. No one in the unit needs to know."

He got no response. Matt moved closer and sat down on the floor so he could see Sam's face better. That's when Matt saw the tears start to silently stream down Sam's face. The emptiness in his eyes had changed to a look of complete desolation.

Shit. This was bad. Matt reached out a hand and gently laid it on Sam's arm. Softly he crooned "I'm here for you brother. I promise it will get better. You just have to stay with me. I will help you find the beauty of life."

Sam tears continued to flow. He was locked in his own mind and heard nothing but his own thoughts. He needed to end the pain. It would mean breaking his word to Matt but he could no longer take it. It was all too much.

.

* * *

 _ **AN:** I just realized that yesterday was my one year anniversary for posting to fanfiction. I posted the first chapter of Belonging on 4/24/2015. I cannot believe a whole year has passed. I am enjoying writing and I hope you all are enjoying the stories._


	16. Call Yvonne, Matt Watches, Two Minutes &

**Call Yvonne, Matt Watches, Two Minutes & Everything Is Just Fine**

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Home Office – Kandahar**_

General Braddock was reviewing the latest report on Samuel. Jasper was keeping him apprised of his progress. Things looked to be improving since Samuel moved to the barracks. He figured now it would be okay to tell Yvonne what had transpired. Bella had been on him like stink on shit to tell Yvonne ever since he had requested her to write that letter.

He checked the time and it was seven am in Ottawa right now. She would be up. He was at his home so he could have a private, personal conversation without fear of being overheard by his staff.

The General hesitated with his finger poised over the speed dial. He hated calling her about injuries Samuel sustained in the field. With the exception of the Special Forces training accident, up until now all had been relatively speaking minor. Yes they occurred in dangerous situations and were painful but they were recoverable and they didn't affect Samuel's mind.

This one was so different; Samuel's worst injury was emotional. Not that the physical ones weren't terrible but those should heal with proper care. But the emotional impact of being held captive and tortured for three months was huge.

God he didn't want to make this call but he knew he had too. Just like he had to make the call the first time he was injured over here.

That first call after the building blew up had been horrible. Yvonne wanted to travel here after that but with Samuel being in Special Forces family was not typically allowed to visit at this base hospital. And things were too dangerous for her to travel here right now. He had finished reviewing reports this morning on heightened insurgent activity in the area. William would not put Yvonne or Natalie at risk by allowing them to come over even if he could ensure they were allowed to visit since Samuel was not actually in the hospital.

He finally pressed the speed dial button and waited for Yvonne to answer. William knew he was about to crush her world and make her cry. God he wished he could be with her and hold her.

William's stomach turned and gripped as she answered brightly in a happy voice.

 _["Hello honey. I'm glad you called. I wanted to talk to you about Natalie's eighteenth birthday. I know it is a ways out still but was wondering if you were going to be able to make it home?" Yvonne said brightly. She missed William since he had been gone so long this time.]_

Clearing his throat William answered "I'm not sure dear. I will try very hard. Have you invited the whole family?" He knew he was stalling and felt like a coward but he didn't want to hurt her.

 _[Yvonne heard something in William's voice. His calls had been sparse the last four months. She attributed that with his job. It was never ending and extremely stressful for him. But this was something altogether different. It was the same tone and quality as when Sam was hurt so badly in training. She called him on the carpet "What have you been hiding from me William. I can tell you have been avoiding me. It's to do with Sammy isn't it?"]_

His voice cracked under the pressure "Yes dearest it has to do with Samuel."

 _["He's been hurt hasn't he? How bad?" Yvonne asked. She would not consider Sammy had been killed. She would not let her mind go there.]_

"It's bad. I couldn't tell you before because it was classified. And when they brought him in he was in such horrible shape I just couldn't. I couldn't" his voice broke again.

In a halting and emotional voice he told Yvonne about Samuel being taken captive and for how long. He could not tell her about the unit going rogue to find him but simply said that his unit had found him and rescued him. William told her an edited version of Samuel's injuries not getting graphic in his descriptions. But even so as he shared the information he heard her soft sobs.

Each injury he described was punctuated with a gasp or a strangled cry from Yvonne. His heart was breaking hearing her. He wanted to reach through the phone and hold Yvonne.

William even told her how he had messed up so badly and how Jasper Parker had ordered him not to visit Samuel but that he stayed every night in the observation room. Then he told her about Matt's idea for music and how he enlisted Ryan's and Bella's help to get the MP3 players and laptop to Samuel.

He ended "Samuel is doing better now that he is out of the hospital. I've made arrangements so that his unit is off rotation so they can look after him. He seems to do better with them, especially Matt. I don't think sending him home for rehab would be the best thing. He depends on his unit and they truly care about him. More than you will ever know."

 _[Yvonne cried for her son. She cried for William too. Such burdens her men carried. Such trials they had to endure to protect the country. She was upset that she had not known but she was also a rational woman._

 _She could see that William could not tell her if it was classified. Even if it wasn't she could see that there would be nothing she could have done except worry. So she was not mad at William. He was only looking out for her and Natalie's well-being._

 _It broke her heart that William messed up with Sam again. His heart was in the right place but his execution was so off. Yvonne could see how Sam wanting to die would scare William very much and William would react swiftly to try and prevent that. But even though Sam always followed orders that certainly was not the right way to go about it. Jasper was right in ordering William to stay away from Sam. William's good intentions could backfire and drive Sam into doing what he was trying to prevent._

 _Drying her eyes Yvonne took several breaths to compose herself "William I want to come over. I need to see he is going to be okay."]_

Sagging in his chair William responded "I'm sorry dear you cannot. It is unsafe right now."

 _[Yvonne straightened her back "William Arthur Braddock I will be coming."]_

Damn all three names William thought. Yvonne was pissed. Only a few times in their marriage had he put his foot down but this was going to be one of them. He would be in the dog house for a long while.

He started firmly but with compassion in his voice "Yvonne I can understand you want to come. I will however emphatically not take the risk with your life. It is a hotbed here now. You mean the world to me sweetheart. I'd be lost without you. I will NOT risk your life."

 _["I'll book my own flight" Yvonne stated just as firmly.]_

"I'll have you sent back just as soon as you land. Yvonne please see my side. I wish you could come. But it is just not safe for you here now" William replied.

 _[Yvonne was pacing now "Send him home to me then."]_

Putting his elbows on the desk and resting his head in his hands William blew out a frustrated breath. He said "I know I screwed up ordering him but I'm not screwing up now. Samuel needs Matt. I'm afraid we will lose him if I send him home. Samuel and Matt have had a connection since boot camp Yvonne. You saw it when they visited after they graduated Special Forces."

His voice weary he continued "I cannot send the unit to Ottawa right now. I need them here and accessible if I have to send them out into the field. So far I have been able to keep them off rotation. That is what I plan to do unless I absolutely need to put them in the field to deal with a situation."

"Yvonne I know it hurts. I know you want to see and hold your boy, our boy. But I truly think Samuel's only hope of healing is if he has his unit around him. Those men are something else. They can get him to smile. Matt can make Samuel laugh. I think if anyone can bring Samuel back from the edge it will be Matt" William said in desperation to make Yvonne see his point.

 _[Yvonne sat on the sofa. Tears flowed. Yes she saw the connection Sam and Matt had when they visited. She had seen real smiles on Sam's face. She had heard him laugh._

 _It was a sound she wanted to hear more of. It was a sound she missed so badly._

 _Her voice cracked "You really believe Matt is Sammy's only hope? Why? What makes you think that?"]_

"Yes I do" William stated then told her how Samuel behaved while Matt was sedated. How closed off Samuel had been. The nightmares he suffered because he would not let the doctor sedate him. Then he told her how within the span of a few hours Matt had gotten Samuel to actually start eating and talking again. How Matt was able to get Samuel to agree to nightly sedation so he could finally get the rest his body so desperately needed.

 _[Softly her voice filled with sadness Yvonne said "Okay then. But I want you to arrange for me to speak with Sam. I need to hear his voice at least."]_

Sadly William closed his eyes. It hurt to hear the resignation and acceptance in Yvonne's voice even though it was his only course of action. Gently he responded "I can do that sweetheart. You know if I could I would change things."

 _["I know. I really do know honey. I'll keep my phone with me always. Tell Sammy to call me anytime for any reason please" Yvonne stated quietly as she wiped her tears.]_

The two talked for another hour. Yvonne asked detailed questions about Sam's injuries at first. But eventually they shifted to everyday things, catching up, talking about Natalie's party and trying to connect and be there for one another half a world away. After losing Sara their greatest fear was losing Sam or Natalie. As they talked each gave the other what they needed; reassurance, love and strength to get through this latest ordeal.

 _[As they were about to hang up Yvonne said "Hope William. Never give up hope. One day. I don't know when or how. But one day we will get our boy back. One day he will accepted that we love him and care about him. One day he will accept that there was nothing he could have done to save Sara. He was just a little boy and it was completely out of his control. One day he will see that we do not blame him and are proud of the man he is. Maybe this will be the thing that does it."]_

"Maybe" William said but kept his thought to himself. His real thought was no this would not be the thing that brought Samuel back to them. If anything, his ordering Samuel not to commit suicide had driven his son further away from him.

William then promised to keep Yvonne up to date on Samuel's progress and arrange for a phone call. Then they said goodbye and I love you.

He hung up the phone feeling drained. It was nearing five thirty. There was a soft knock on his study door. He called out "Come in."

Colonel Tom Sutton appeared. He strode in and took one look at William and went to William's side table where the bourbon sat. He poured both of them two fingers then walked over and gave a glass to his good friend.

As Tom sat down in the chair facing the desk he took a sip then said "So the call with Yvonne. How'd it go?"

"Tough. She really wants to be here. It's so hard for her not being here" William said and knocked back half the contents of the glass.

Setting his drink down Tom said "She's a strong and practical woman Will. She understands."

"Yeah but understanding doesn't make it any easier. She wants to see him. I said I'd arrange a phone call. It's the best I can do" William responded and downed the remainder.

Lacing his fingers together Tom smiled "You can do better."

William gave his friend a questioning look "How so?"

Tom's smile widened "You gave Sam a laptop. Get Natalie to help Yvonne set up that video calling program on her computer. She will be able to talk to Sam and see him."

The first smile in a long time landed on William's face "Why didn't I think of that?"

Flippantly Tom answered "That's why you keep me around."

William immediately called Yvonne back. He heard some of her normal brightness in her voice as he told her about the video calling program. William thought Yvonne seemed a little happier when she hung up to go get Natalie to get the program installed so she would be ready for Sam's call in the next day or so.

Tom liked seeing Will smile as he spoke to Yvonne. He carried the burden of so many on his shoulders. It was such a small thing to suggest but it looked like it meant the world to both William and Yvonne.

When William hung up with Yvonne for the second time he looked at Tom "I'm buying you dinner tonight Tom."

Sutton chuckled "Officer's mess or here?"

"Your choice" William said as he leaned back in his chair feeling a little lighter himself. A tiny stone had just rolled off his shoulder. Yvonne would get to see her boy.

* * *

 _ **Unit Barracks on Base – Inside**_

Matt sat still on the floor near Sam's bed. He watched silently for the past few hours. At first he tried to get Sam to talk to him. He cajoled and pleaded. But Sam never moved. Sam never spoke.

Tears had rolled non-stop out of Sam's eyes for nearly an hour. But he made no sound. The tears just streaked down his face. Matt could see the dried salty tracks on Sam's face right now.

Sam's eyes never closed. They just stared straight ahead unfocused. Sam was still curled up in the fetal position.

Matt had no idea what to do. He was at a loss as to what to say or do. Matt wanted to reach Sam so badly.

He spent the last hour trying to figure out what triggered this. Did losing control of his bladder really do this? He knew Sam was a proud and self-sufficient man. He knew he was easily embarrassed too. Traits they both had in common.

Matt asked himself if it was him in this situation would that cause it. No. No he didn't think that was the root. It might be a part. But it wasn't the root cause.

However, root cause or not Matt vowed to make whoever moved his wheelchair pay dearly for what they did to Sam.

He also vowed that he would never tell a single soul, not even the guys how he found Sam. That would be a secret he would take to his grave. Matt would never embarrass Sam like that. Yeah they teased each other a lot over minor embarrassments.

Like the time Sam drove the tank into the ditch during basic training. That was so funny. Or the time Sam took Major Pearce's underage daughter to the bar. Sam spent months cleaning latrines when the Major found out. Damn that girl was good a forging ids. She should have been the one cleaning the latrines.

Sam liked to tease him about the time he kissed a guy thinking it was a girl. She, no he had been hot looking in a short dress, big boobs and long raven hair. He had been so drunk he failed to see the guy's adams apple. Sam razzed him every chance he got for what seemed like years after that. Funny but even after that Matt still had a thing for raven haired women. But now he made sure they were women before he kissed them.

Blaze's sister Daphne was a raven haired beauty. Her hazel eyes dazzled them all. The golden flecks in them caught the sunlight and shone brightly like real gold. Her long, curly jet black hair was so stunning. It was glossy and full. Matt wanted to run his hands through it as he kissed her passionately.

Sam had seen the way he looked at Daphne and encouraged him to talk to her. Sam even went so far as to distract Blaze for him. Daphne might just be the one for him. They hit it off right from the start. Matt decided to take it slow though. She was his CO's sister and he didn't want to mess things up.

Blaze was so protective of his sister. It made sense to him that he was. Daphne was all the family Blaze had left and Blaze had essentially raised Daphne all by himself after their parents died. Blaze tended to act more like a Father to Daphne than a brother. But he guessed that was what Blaze was really. So slow would be the right thing if Matt didn't want to be murdered by his CO for messing with his little sister/daughter.

Matt pulled himself back to the here and now as the mental image of Daphne faded and Sam's face came back into stark view. What was he going to do? How was he going to reach Sam? What was Sam thinking right now?

Sam let the tears roll until there were no more. Real men weren't supposed to cry. But he cried. He must not be a real man then. No he was no better than an animal. A useless worthless animal.

He could not walk. If he could not walk then he could not be a soldier. If he could not be a soldier then he was nothing to his Father. Nothing. He was nothing.

Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing.

He was a waste of space. Unloved. Useless. Worthless. They were right. No one cared.

But that was his fault. His fault because he did not save Sara. He should have died. It should have been him.

He was worthless. The police didn't even want him. He thought he was doing the right thing. But everyone turned away from him. They trashed his locker. They left him without backup. He almost killed a baby.

He had loved the idea of being a cop. But it had been ripped away from him. Everything he loved always got taken away.

It was because he was undeserving of love. Something about him was bad. Why else would he be so good at killing people. He never missed. He killed without hesitation. He killed fast. He was bad.

The world would be better off without him.

Matt watched. He needed the other guys. They should be here soon. He heard Winds laugh. Matt stood up and said "Be right back Sammy."

Then trying to insert some humor and maybe get a reaction, hell he was grasping at straws here, Matt quipped "Don't go anywhere."

* * *

 _ **Unit Barracks on Base – Outside**_

Matt opened the door and took several steps out. He let the door close behind him.

Blaze, Winds, Mason, Patch and Ripsaw stopped when they saw Matt. His face was drawn and he looked frazzled.

Patch asked "Blondie okay? Is he in pain?" Matt only looked this way when he was concerned about Blondie.

Matt blurted out "Someone stole his wheelchair. I got back to the barracks and I found him curled up." So far no lies Matt thought. Now for omission "He hasn't moved. He cried for nearly an hour but he will not answer me. His eyes are unfocused. I'm scared. I don't know what is going on. He won't talk to me. Sam always talks to me."

He turned in circles clearly very agitated. He stopped and looked at the guys "I don't know what to do."

Blaze asked "Did you try music?"

"No not yet. But I've never seen him like this. It's like he is not there. Like he's lost or just gone. He doesn't even blink like he is catatonic" Matt stated.

Blaze put a hand on Matt's shoulder "Calm down Matt. Let's go see if he will respond to me." He turned to the others "Why don't you all go grab us some food. Sounds like it will be a long night and I know you are starving like me. Blondie will need something to eat too."

Winds asked "Matt what did you mean someone stole Blondie's wheelchair?"

Matt lied a bit to maintain his vow to Sam "When I came back I found his wheelchair mostly hidden in the bushes. I know Sam didn't, couldn't put it there. That means someone deliberately did it. How anyone could be that callous I don't know. But when I find out who did it I'm gonna teach them some manners" Matt slammed one fist into his palm indicating how he would teach them.

Ripsaw said "I think we need to do a little investigating when we go get some chow."

Mason angrily said "It's gonna be one lesson in manners that person will not soon forget."

Patch said "I'm gonna run over to the hospital and talk to Dr. Parker. If Blondie is out of it, it could be an effect of the drugs. We might need to adjust something."

"Sounds good. We'll see the rest of you back here shortly" Blaze said as he steered Matt back toward the door. Winds, Mason and Ripsaw headed off to the mess hall as Patch headed in the opposite direction to the hospital.

* * *

 _ **Unit Barracks on Base – Inside**_

Sam unculred. He dropped to the floor and crawled to Blaze's bunk. His hand found Blaze's reserve gun. It was right where he knew it would be.

He sat with his back to Blaze's bed. He could do this. It would make the world a better place. He should have never been born. If he hadn't been born Sara would be alive.

No one would care if he was gone. The General would finally be happy with him. He would finally do something his Father would be proud of.

It was time to rid the world of the fuck up named Samuel William Braddock.

The worthless, unloved, useless lump of flesh that could not walk and embarrassed his family by just being alive. The idiot that went and got himself captured. The animal that had so little control that he pissed himself.

Sam flicked off the safety and pointed the gun at his heart.

It was time to end his pain. There was always so much pain. If only he had saved Sara so much would have been different.

Sam's finger rounded on the trigger.

All he had to do was what he was good at. What he had trained to do since he was old enough to hold a gun. All he had to do was wipe all emotions, breathe, hold, aim, squeeze softly like a caress and snuff out his life. Easy.

Sniper breathing pattern took over.

In. Hold, 2, 3, 4. Release.

The world would be a better place without him.

In. Hold, 2, 3, 4. Release.

His Father would finally approve of something he did.

In. Hold, 2, 3, 4. Release.

All the pain would be gone soon.

In. Hold.

His finger squeezes softly like a caress.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

BANG!

Matt laid on the ground next to Sam panting wildly as he screamed frantically "Blaze is he hit? GOD NO! Was I fast enough?"

Blaze and Matt had entered the barracks to an ungodly sight. Blondie was sitting on the floor against a bunk with a gun pointed at his heart. The safety was off and Blondie's finger was on the trigger ready to pull.

Matt had reacted with supersonic speed and dove at Blondie yelling an elongated "No" while he had stood frozen in place by the horrific sight.

Blaze unfroze and rushed forward. He squatted down next to Blondie who was now curled up in a fetal position. His eyes open but unfocused as Matt had said outside. Holy shit what was happening here? Where the hell did Blondie get the gun? Blaze quickly checked Blondie over.

Breathing heavily Blaze finally responded to Matt "He's good. Missed."

Matt sat up as his breathing started evening out.

Patch, Mason, Winds and Ripsaw raced into the room guns drawn ready to defend their brothers. The sight confused them. Matt was sitting on the floor a little away from Blondie. Blaze was squatting next to Blondie holding a gun. Blondie was on the floor curled up in a ball.

Winds yelled "What the hell is going on?"

Still a bit dazed that Blondie almost successfully committed suicide Blaze did not hear Winds. Looking at the wall behind the bunk he saw the hole and Blaze stated flatly "Went into the wall."

As he put the safety back on it dawned on Blaze that it was his gun. His bunk. "Shit. My gun. Blondie got my reserve gun."

The guys had holstered their side arms and moved forward. Patch looked to Matt "Are you okay?"

Matt nodded "Sam?"

Winds asked "What reserve gun?"

Blaze turned and stood up as Patch knelt down by Blondie and started taking vitals.

"This one. I had it hidden in my bunk" Blaze stated with disgust at himself for being so careless.

Speaking over each other Ripsaw said "Didn't know you kept one in here" and Mason said "Why would you kept one in here now with how Blondie's been?"

Guilt flooded in and overwhelmed Blaze. His eyes landed on Matt "I'm so sorry. I should have removed it. I wasn't thinking. Blondie was doing so well."

Uncharacteristically Blaze crumpled to the floor. The weight of the guilt was too much. Too much!

Pain lanced through his heart as he murmured just loud enough for the others to hear "Blondie almost killed himself with my fucking gun."

Blaze buried his head in his hands and continued "If Matt had been a half second slower Blondie would be dead. Dead! Dead with my fucking gun. How stupid can I be to leave a gun within Blondie's reach?"

The guys stared at Blaze. Shit he was blaming himself they all thought. Blaze shouldn't do that. If Blondie wanted to kill himself there were so many ways he could do it in here. This was not Blaze's fault. But they all knew Blaze would think it was. He felt responsible for all of them. Even for things that were out of his control. And Blondie's mental state was absolutely out of his control.

They started to move in to talk to Blaze as the door to the barracks opened.

Immediately Winds, Mason and Ripsaw formed a line hiding Blondie, Patch, Blaze and Matt. It was no one's business what was going on in here. No one needed to see members of their unit at their lowest points. They protected one another at all costs.

The MP asked "Heard a gunshot. Everything okay in here?"

Winds stated firmly "Everything is just fine." And he did mean F.I.N.E., everyone in the unit was so very F.I.N.E. right now.

"Did it come from here?" the MP asked as he started to move forward into the room. He was wondering what the three men were hiding behind them. It was suspicious behavior.

Mason thought fast and answered "Yeah, I had a malfunction and a round got caught in the chamber. Got to take that damned thing apart again."

The MP knew something was off because they were all acting strangely but only nodded because no one on base messed with this unit. They were General Braddock's elite unit of the Special Forces. Everyone on this base knew that. So he stopped moving forward and only said "Better be more careful. Someone could have gotten hurt."

Ripsaw thought about how fast the MP responded and then wondered if he could have seen something earlier. He also wanted to get the man out and away from here before he saw Blaze on the floor in his current state.

Striding forward quickly Ripsaw replied for the unit "We will be more careful. I need to talk to you about something else outside. There's been some malicious activity around our barracks. Do you have video surveillance?"

The MP answered while he was stepping backwards quickly as the unit member was crowding him out the door "No not around the barracks. Why?"

As the door closed Matt moved to Blaze. With conviction he decreed "You are not to blame. We do not blame you. We all thought Sam was doing better."

Then shakily Matt said with disbelief that Sam had broken his word "Sam promised me he wouldn't do it."

Winds turned back around. Looking at Matt he corrected softly "No Matt. Blondie only promised he would try. That he would try to live for us. He was trying. Clearly something happened to push Blondie to the edge."

Patch stood up his face a reflection the concern and confusion they were all feeling "His vitals are all normal. But Blondie will not respond." Looking at Blondie curled up on the hard floor he asked quietly "Mason can you move Blondie to his bed please?"

Mason went to Blondie and bent down. Close to him he whispered "Sunshine I'm gonna move you okay?"

No response. Mason had hoped calling him Sunshine would get a reaction. He hoped Blondie would respond with 'okay Gorgeous'. But he got nothing but the unfocused lost eyes that Matt described. The others watched silently as Mason lifted him carefully and gently put Blondie on his bunk.

Blaze pulled himself together. He tucked the gun into the back of his pants then went to Blondie. He grabbed Blondie's blanket and covered him "We'll be right here if you need us kid. When you are ready to talk we will be here."

Then he and Mason joined the others who were crouched around Matt who was still on the floor. He sat down and asked "So what do we do?"

Matt ran his hands through his hair roughly "I don't know. I just don't know. He's never been like this. Ever. I was only gone two minutes. Two fucking minutes. Sam almost killed himself because I left him alone for two god damned minutes. Two minutes, one hundred and twenty seconds. Just two fucking minutes."

Then Matt started to shake. Patch grabbed a blanket and put it over Matt's shoulders as Matt said "Oh shit, I'm gonna be sick."

Winds swiftly grabbed the bowl they had for Blondie when his food didn't settle properly and he shoved it to Matt just in time.

Patch said "It's okay Matt. Adrenaline crash."

As Matt was rinsing his mouth Ripsaw entered the barracks with an angry scowl and bit out "God damned Murphy. I'm gonna kill that fucking bastard."

Blaze's eyes burned with rage registering Ripsaw's words. He stood and turned to Ripsaw "Murphy did it?"

His voice shaking with fury Ripsaw ground out "Overheard Murphy laughing with Travis." His emotions too pent up to speak Ripsaw slammed his fist into the locker wishing it was Murphy's face.

Getting a little control at that small release Ripsaw turned to Blaze and stated forcefully "I'm going to kill him."

Ripsaw did not want to tell them what he overheard. Blondie would be mortified. He glanced at Mason's locker and saw the dents. But he had to tell. He growled "Murphy has to be shut up. The unit needs to shut Murphy and Travis up."

All but Matt looked at him confused thinking there was more to this than just the wheelchair.

Matt's stomach clenched and threatened to heave again. Something told him whatever Murphy was saying had to do with how he found Sam.

Pulling on his deep reserves for control Ripsaw motioned for the guys to join him near the door away from Blondie.

When the guys formed a tight circle near the door Ripsaw whispered "Murphy took Blondie's chair while he was sleeping. Apparently Murphy stayed to watch what would happen. I overheard Murphy tell Travis that Blondie woke up and looked for his chair. Not finding it he started to crawl to the bathroom. Blondie didn't make it. In a rage Blondie knocked over a bed and punched the hell out of a locker. Then Blondie collapsed when he spent his energy. Murphy and Travis are laughing about it. Won't be long before they start spouting off to others about it."

Patch said "I was wondering about the bandages on his hands. Matt did you …"

They all watched as Matt blanched. He closed his eyes. Murphy had watched. He had done it on purpose. Murphy would tell everyone. Jesus Christ that was the last thing Sam needed right now. So much for his vow to never tell anyone. Although in truth he was not the one telling.

Matt opened his eyes and said rapidly "I took care of what needed to be taken care of is all I'll say. You can never let Sam know you know. Something like that would …"

Winds interrupted "Drive him to attempt suicide?"

Mason shook his head "No, no. He's stronger than that. This has to stem from the torture. Blondie was there three months guys. A lot can happen in three months. This did not happen because of what happened today even if it is a small part of it. But I agree with Matt. No one says anything ever about that."

They all nodded in agreement.

Fire burned bright in Blaze's eyes "Matt, Patch stay with Blondie. The rest of us have some unit justice to mete out."


	17. Ally & Deeds Not Words – Justice Served

**Ally & Deeds Not Words – Justice Served**

* * *

 _ **Unit Barracks – Outside**_

Winds stopped as he, Blaze, Mason and Ripsaw headed out of the barracks to mete out unit justice. All of them were in a foul, hot temper. But something held him back.

Blaze stopped and said "Winds are you coming?"

Winds looked at the three and realized that for once he had to be the voice of reason. Even if he did not want to be. He wanted to smash Murphy's face full force into the ground and stomp on him. But there was Blondie to consider.

He said as Mason and Ripsaw both stopped and turned to him too "We have to think about Blondie."

Ripsaw raged "What the hell do you think we are doing? We are thinking about Blondie. He deserves justice. Unit justice!"

Mason growled "If you don't want to come don't. I'll more than make up for your fists."

Blaze banked his rage a moment. Winds was the first one to mete out unit justice in the past. He had to have a reason for what he was doing. So Blaze asked "What do you mean think about Blondie?"

Winds was clenching and unclenching his fists "What I mean is that if we go storming off and beat the shit out of Murphy and Travis that we will be thrown in the brig. How can we be there when Blondie needs us if we are in the brig?"

The blood lust in the eyes of the others dropped a notch as Winds words struck them. Mason swallowed hard "Blondie does need us but we cannot let this go."

"I'm not suggesting we do" Winds stated.

Blaze nodded getting Winds drift "Blanket party."

"With messages" Winds said.

Ripsaw nodded "I can go with that."

Mason asked "When?"

Winds said "Tonight. The message has to be clear and fast."

"But we cannot be seen" Blaze added.

"What do we do until then to keep the asshole's mouth shut?" Ripsaw asked.

They all looked to Blaze for direction. Blaze was thinking fast and then said "Winds you go tell them that Colonel Sutton is looking for them. Give me about ten minutes. I'll talk to the Colonel. I'll request that we do a little inter-unit drilling on the obstacle course since both units are off at the moment. I know he'll go for it based on my conversation with him earlier today. We keep them busy until late tonight."

Ripsaw smiled evilly "Oh and it wouldn't be out of the norm for a few accidents to befall them while we are training."

Blaze chuckled "No it wouldn't and you have my permission _not_ to pull your punches if we do hand to hand combat training. But don't make it too obvious."

"No wouldn't dream of making it obvious. Although I won't have to work hard on that. Murphy's a first class idiot. I've watched him spar in the past and he's slow on his feet and predictable" Ripsaw stated.

Mason grinned. He liked how Blaze was a quick thinker and he liked Ripsaw's idea too. He said "I'll go let Matt and Patch know what we are doing. So they know where to find us if Blondie needs us."

Winds stated "Have them work on the messages we want to leave tonight. It would be best if they were typed and printed rather than in our handwriting. Less ability to trace it back to us."

They all agreed. Winds set off to find Murphy and his unit. Mason headed back to their barracks. Blaze and Ripsaw headed for Colonel Sutton's office.

* * *

 _ **Unit Barracks – Inside**_

Patch checked Blondie's vitals again. He tried to get him to respond but all he got was nothing. Blondie allowed him to unwrap his hands and check them. He gave no indication that Patch was doing anything to him. It worried the crap out of him.

He walked over to where Matt was sitting a little ways away working on the laptop. Patch could see he was back at creating the playlist as the classical music filled the barracks. The music always seemed to relax Blondie so he was glad Matt was working on it again.

Patch sat down and said quietly "I think I should sedate Blondie."

Matt looked up at Patch and then over at Sam. He nodded "Yeah I think that would be best too. You might even get a reaction out of him when you do it. I'd take any reaction right now. Even anger. This." Matt waved to Sam "This scares the shit out of me."

"Me too. Physical stuff I can handle. Give me someone bleeding out and I know what to do. How to help. But this. It's beyond me Matt. I want to help. I do. I just don't know how to" Patch confessed.

Matt put his hand on Patch's shoulder "Make you a deal. You keep his body healing and I'll focus on healing his mind. Between us and the rest of the guys we will bring him back. I promise to help Sam find the beauty of life again."

Patch nodded as the door opened. They were surprised to see Mason so soon.

Matt asked "Is the bastard dead?"

Mason shook his head "No slight change of plans." He then told them what was planned and why. Both Patch and Matt accepted the delay knowing it was better this way.

Matt said "It's for the best even though I want Murphy dead right now. This way we can keep this quiet. We can't let anyone know that Sam attempted suicide. They would have him labeled unfit and suffering PTSD quicker than you could spit. And that would take him away from us. From me. We would lose him for sure then. He would be successful in his attempt if they take him from us."

Mason sat down heavily and looked at Blondie "We can't let that happen."

Patch firmly stated "Not gonna let it happen. I'm gonna sedate Blondie now. Mason can you stick around in case he gets physical. Blondie might need to be restrained so I can do it and I know you have the strength to do it without hurting him."

Mason nodded and the two went over to Blondie. Matt followed and stood behind Patch.

Patch held the syringe out of sight as he said "Blondie you need rest. I'm going to reschedule your physical therapy session. I'm also going to sedate you. I'm not giving you a choice this time because it is for your own good. You will not be here alone. Matt and I will be here with you. Do you understand?"

He waited for a response. Even a blink of an eye would be good. But Blondie just stared unfocused unblinking and unmoving.

Uncovering Blondie's picc line Patch injected the sedative.

Matt blew out the breath he was holding. He hadn't wanted Sam to struggle but he had hoped for at least a small reaction. As Sam's eyes started to close Matt crouched down in front of him and lightly touched Sam's face as he said "I've got you Sammy. I'll watch over you brother."

* * *

 _ **Colonel Sutton's Office**_

There was a knock on the Colonel's door and he called out "Enter."

Blaze and Ripsaw entered and came to attention. They saluted then stood at ease.

Colonel Sutton was surprised to see Lieutenant Blain and Master Corporal Preston. But it was fortuitous because he was about to call Lieutenant Blain to his office anyways. He asked "What can I do for you Blaze?"

Blaze said calmly "Sir I'd like to request an inter-unit training session between the available members of the units off rotation today. My men need something to keep them on top of their game Sir."

Sutton looked at Blaze, something was off. This type of request typically went through the Major. He asked "Why request this from me instead of Major Plouffe?"

Blaze almost blinked. Crap he should have gone to the Major with this request. He couldn't say it was because he thought that Major Plouff was a jackass and he couldn't reveal the real reason either. So he thought quickly and responded "Isn't the Major at the remote base Sir?"

"No he is here Lieutenant" Sutton said slowly. He could read a cover up. It was obvious that Blaze did not care for Major Plouff. Not many people did. He decided to let the breach of protocol slide this time.

The Colonel then said "That sounds like a good plan. Idle time is not good for you men. Too much mischief to get into. I'll let you coordinate it with the other unit members as you see fit. You have my authorization to do so."

"Thank you Sir. I'll get right on it" Blaze said and came to attention.

"Not so fast Lieutenant" Sutton stated.

Blaze went back to parade rest with a questioning look on his face "Something else Sir?"

"Yes. I was going to call you to my office anyways. Saved my staff a trip. I need you to convey a message to Master Corporal Braddock."

Blaze blinked "Yes Sir."

Sutton continued "Braddock's mother has made a request to speak with her son since we are not sending him back to Ottawa for recuperation. She is aware he has a laptop and is now requesting a video call. I want you to make arrangements in the next day or so for Braddock to do so."

"Sir what if he is not …" Blaze started.

Sutton's voice was strong and overrode whatever Blaze was going to say "Braddock will contact his mother. That is an order."

"Yes Sir" Blaze answered. He was thinking how the hell was Blondie going to do that if he was catatonic. He realized the unit would have to figure something out. Then he said "Anything else Sir?"

"No that is all for now Lieutenant. You both are dismissed" Sutton said.

As he leaned back in his chair Tom wondered what all this was about. He should make it a priority to go check on Sam. Maybe watch his physical therapy session this afternoon. His phone rang and he picked it up. Two minutes into the call he realized he would not be making it to the PT session today. Maybe tomorrow.

* * *

 _ **Outside Colonel Sutton's Office**_

Blaze released a breath. Ripsaw said under his breath only loud enough for Blaze "Shit that was close. None of us was thinking clearly coming directly to Sutton. And how the hell is Blondie gonna call his mother?"

"Not sure yet. Sutton said in the next day or so. So we have time to work that out. Here comes Murphy" Blaze responded.

Ripsaw said "You mean dead man walking."

Murphy stopped at the desk of Colonel Sutton's aide and said "Master Corporal Murphy and Corporal Travis reporting as ordered."

The Private looked at him confused "The Colonel did not request your presence Murphy or Travis."

Murphy glared at Winds "You said."

Blaze stepped forward "I sent Winds with Sutton's request. He has put me in charge of an inter-unit training session today. Murphy and Travis grab your gear and meet me on the obstacle course in ten minutes."

Murphy blustered "The Major is in charge of ordering training. Not you."

Blaze glared at him hard and in his most commanding voice he said "Are you disregarding the orders of a superior? Last time I checked a Lieutenant out ranked a Master Corporal. And for that matter a Colonel out ranks a Major. I am following the Colonel's orders."

Travis shrank under the heavy stare and words "Murphy let's go get our gear."

Murphy bristled and he saw the Private staring at him open mouthed. He could just see the Private telling the Colonel he disobeyed an order. He would get a reprimand in his file and that would make it more difficult for Plouffe to push through his promotions. Dammit he had to kowtow to the Lieutenant. He grumbled out "Yes Sir ten minutes Sir."

When Murphy turned heel and marched off Blaze smiled at Ripsaw. Ripsaw smiled back and said quietly "This is gonna be sweet justice."

Blaze said "Damn straight!"

* * *

 _ **Three Hours Later – Base Obstacle Course**_

Blaze bellowed "Move your ass Murphy. Hell even Braddock could move faster than you and he is in a wheelchair right now."

Murphy was drenched in sweat. They had run the obstacle course six times so far after running ten miles flat out. He and Travis were bringing up the rear. Where the hell did Blaze, Winds, Mason and Ripsaw get the energy to run so hard and so long and still get through all the obstacles?

He was pissed off about all the name calling and references that Braddock could do better than him in his current condition. It had come from every single one of them. But mostly from the Lieutenant. He sniped back at everyone except the Lieutenant because they were equal or lesser rank. He especially bad mouthed Winds. He was only a Corporal now since Plouffe's last demotion.

Murphy reached the climbing wall and headed up. Mason was in front of him and going up before him. They were half way up when Mason stepped full force on his hand. "God dammit get your lard ass off my hand" Murphy yelled.

Mason looked down and lifted the wrong foot putting more weight on Murphy's hand. On purpose. Then he lifted the correct foot as said "Oh sorry dude. But you should watch where I'm going. I can't see you down there. You are beneath me. It is your job to watch out." The words _'you are_ _beneath me'_ were said with disdain and the ' _oh sorry'_ dripped with so much insincerity the meaning could not be missed.

As they approached the barbed wire crawl Murphy pulled up and said to Blaze "I need a piss break."

"Hold it Murphy. If the insurgents were after you, you'd have no time for a piss break" Blaze ordered harshly.

Murphy riled and spat back "But we are just training. I'm not gonna piss my pants for training."

Blaze got in his face and raged "We train as if they are. Hold it or piss your pants. I don't really give a fuck which. Get your ass moving NOW! How the hell you made it into Special Forces I'll never know. You'd never make it a single day in my unit."

Murphy dropped to the barbed wire crawl and was nearly out when Winds's boot snagged on the pole that held the barbed wire up. Winds yanked his boot free and stood up to race to the rope climb not looking back. Winds's smile was hidden as Murphy could not see his face.

The pole was ripped out of the ground and the barbed wire fell on top of Murphy. He screamed as the sharp points bit into his back and then Murphy yelled "You did that on purpose Simons. I'm reporting you."

Travis stood up after making it to the end of his section which hadn't come down. He was completely out of breath as he said between gasps "Murphy it just happened. Accidents happen. Simons didn't do it on purpose. I don't think he even saw what happened."

"Get me the hell out of this Travis" Murphy growled.

Travis gingerly grabbed the barbed wire. His gloves had gone missing after their only break over an hour ago. He could have sworn he put them on the rock but when he went to get them they were gone. Everyone checked to make sure they didn't accidentally pick up his gloves by mistake. Blaze had gotten in his face and dressed him down for being careless and losing military gear. Travis was still wondering what happened to his gloves.

He started to carefully lift the barbed wire as Blaze again bellowed at them to hurry up.

Blaze watched a moment as his hands went into his pocket and felt Travis's gloves. Then he yelled "Lift the damned wire. Your mate could be dead by the time you get around to lifting it. Your hands must be softer than my baby sister's. You got sissy hands Travis?"

"No Sir. Just it cuts without my gloves" Travis defended before he realized he was talking back to a superior.

Fear rippled through him as Blaze landed his fire filled eyes on him. Travis gripped the barbed wire and yanked it up getting it off of Murphy. It cut up his hands.

Murphy groused getting up "We need to see a medic. My back and Travis's hands."

Blaze turned his gaze on Murphy. He saw Murphy shrink at the fury in his eyes. Blaze stated harshly "You mean you can't hack a few small cuts? Blondie survived for three months with a back and chest full of gashes that make your injuries look like pinpricks. Man up Murphy."

Murphy seethed with rage and drew his fist back. Blaze's glare said 'do it, I dare you'.

Travis grabbed Murphy's hand "Murphy don't. He's a Lieutenant. You don't want to strike an officer."

Blaze yelled over his shoulder to the rest of the guys "Break time. Mason get the kit and take care of Travis and Murphy. Seems they are injured. Can't let them get infected and die a horribly painful death from a few little cuts."

Travis said "Why isn't the rest of our unit here? Lang is our medic. Does Mason even know what to do?"

Mason grabbed a kit out of his back pack and said "What your unit doesn't cross train?"

Travis shook his head "No we all have our jobs. Lang is the medic."

Ripsaw laughed "Christ what would you do if Lang was hit. Would you know how to save him or would you just let him die?"

Travis blanched "I, uh, I …"

Blaze interrupted "Shut it. Mason get them fixed up pronto."

"Sure thing Blaze. Murphy lift your shirt" Mason said as he poured alcohol onto Travis's hands.

Travis screamed obscenities loudly as the alcohol burned his cuts. Mason then poured alcohol on Murphy's back. Murphy reacted the same way.

Ripsaw, Winds and Blaze had to turn away to hide their smiles. This was payback. No quarter would be given in this session. Accidents would continue to happen.

Murphy pulled his shirt down and asked "Where is the rest of our unit and your unit?"

Blaze turned back to him and was about to say something when Winds beat him to it.

Winds sneered "Well let's just say from what I've seen you two need some more training. Not sure how your unit puts up with you. You got Gleason killed from what I heard. You let the insurgent get the drop on you asswipe. Got your Sergeant killed when he came to save your sorry ass."

Murphy shoved Winds "Your mouth is gonna get you in trouble."

Winds laughed "Won't be the first time and not the last either. I don't know how they let a shit for brains asswipe like you into JTF2. What did you do to get in? Blow Major Plouffe?"

Blaze could see Winds was losing it. He stopped it saying "Ropes. Hit the ropes now. Last one up will be doing one hundred pushups."

The men raced to the ropes. Even without gloves and his hands slick with some blood Travis made it up faster than Murphy. As Travis watched Murphy doing pushups he wondered if it wouldn't be a good time to start distancing himself from Murphy.

He hated Braddock but things were getting way out of hand. He could imagine what this unit would do to him if they ever found out what he and Murphy had been doing. They would not simply kill them. Unit justice did not work that way. They would make them pay double or triple what they had meted out to Braddock.

Travis thought that maybe it was time not to reup his contract. Move to a different position. He had the papers ready to reup in his locker and planned to turn them in tomorrow. He would think on it tonight and make his decision tomorrow morning.

As Murphy finished his one hundredth pushup he was beat. He wanted a break. He needed to take a piss. He stood up as Blaze called out "Hand to hand drills next. No holds barred. We need to simulate real scenarios. Ripsaw you and Murphy pair up. Mason and Travis pair up. Winds and I will monitor."

Murphy's face fell as he faced off against Ripsaw. Everyone knew about Ripsaw. He was the absolute toughest at hand to hand combat. Shit Murphy said to himself.

Travis looked at the bear sized man. Oh crap he was gonna hurt. Mason's hands were so large could probably wrap one hand all the way around his neck Travis thought.

Ripsaw toyed with Murphy for a while. He saw the piss dance that Murphy was doing, the asshole had to pee badly. Ripsaw was taking his time, drawing it out as he dodged and spun away from attack after attack. He saw his opening, well to be honest there were so many he could have chosen from but he was done toying. Murphy was going down hard.

Murphy had no idea what hit him. One second he was up and facing Ripsaw. Next he was flat on his back gasping for air. His pants felt suspcipously warm and wet too. Ah fuck he pissed himself. Angrily he got up and went after Ripsaw. Blind fury had him swing without much effect.

He ended up on the ground time and time again. Ripsaw rung his bell several times too as he taunted him. He noticed that Mason and Travis had stopped and were watching him and Ripsaw go at it.

Murphy got in a punch finally. It was a solid hit. Ripsaw staggered back.

Blaze yelled "Two on one now. Winds, Mason against Murphy. Ripsaw and me against Travis."

Murphy shouted "That's not fair."

Winds taunted Murphy "So you gonna cry to the terrorist that it is not fair when more than one comes at you asshat. Or are you gonna learn how to defend yourself. Cause if it is the first you can kiss your ass goodbye."

Murphy lunged at Winds. He was gonna shut that fucker's mouth now.

Winds landed a hit that sent Murphy sprawling then said "You gotta do better than that. Were you sleeping in hand to hand combat training or are you just that slow, stupid and uncoordinated?"

Scrambling back up Murphy went after what appeared to be the easier target. Mason appeared to be watching Travis get his ass whooped by Blaze and Ripsaw. Travis hadn't landed a single hit and was on the ground more than standing.

Murphy swung out at Mason's back aiming for the kidneys. Mason only smiled and whipped around blocking the punch and delivering a one two of his own to Murphy's jaw and stomach. Mason said "Not everything is as it appears. You need to keep that in mind Murphy or you'll end up dead. Although dead would be an improvement for you asshat."

After another fifteen minutes Blaze called a halt to the hand to hand. He had accomplished what was needed. The unit needed a plausible excuse for marred and bruised knuckles. This certainly gave it to them.

Murphy was breathing heavy, he ached and he was starving. But more so he was uncomfortable in his wet pants. The stench was bothering him too. He said "I need to go shower and change."

Blaze laughed then bellowed "What the hell? You think this is a country club where you get a little dirty and you can run off to the showers? No. This is Special Forces. Suck it up. Yeah you stink like a damn urinal. You should learn to hold it better. Grab your packs men. Night hike, move out on the double."

Murphy grabbed his pack. He was glad he wasn't in this madman's unit. He had never had a CO that pushed him this hard, he hurt all over and he knew he'd be sporting lots of bruises from that hand to hand combat session. Blaze and the whole unit just made it to his shit list.

It was clear there was no love lost between any of them. The hatred was a two way street. But he was scared shitless of Blaze. Blaze got his code name honestly; he could burn you with his fiery eyes alone. The rest of the unit was untouchable too.

They outmatched him at every god damned turn. It pissed him off big time. Murphy could not wait for this training session to be over. All he wanted to do was shower, go to sleep and forget this training session ever happened.

Travis was one hurting puppy as they ran at full pace. He didn't know if he could keep up. He was bruised in places he didn't even know existed and his hands were a mess. Travis was gasping for air at the pace Blaze set.

Bringing up the rear and watching the Mason, Ripsaw, Winds and Blaze run effortlessly Travis wondered how the hell Blaze's unit looked like this was nothing more than an easy stroll in the park? He and Murphy were clearly the weak links here and that pissed him off.

This was excruciating and Travis wanted it to end. It was 2030 hours and he wondered just how much longer this training session would go on. Travis was starving but he knew he would be too tired to eat when they eventually made it back to the barracks. God when would this torture end?

* * *

 _ **Unit Barracks – Inside**_

Matt looked up when Patch and Dr. Parker came into the barracks. He grinned and said "Hi doc."

Dr. Parker grinned and said "Hi Matt. How are you doing today?"

"Well. Sleeping and eating as promised. Sam's sleeping right now" Matt said.

Stopping to look at Sam Dr. Parker sighed. He sat down and said to Matt "I know what happened here. He's not sleeping. He is sedated."

Matt whipped his head to Patch "Why'd you tell him?"

Patch sat down "I had too. I needed more sedatives."

Dr. Parker said "Don't worry Matt. I will keep this out of Sam's records. It will go no further than me. Patch did the right thing. I can put in his file that the physical therapy is taxing him and ordered sedation. It is not much of a stretch of the truth."

Matt relaxed "So you know. Any ideas on what we should do to help?"

Jasper debated what to tell them. He made a decision and said "Patch can I ask you to leave the room? I need to speak to Matt alone."

Patch looked at him "Whatever you have to say is safe with me."

Dr. Parker shook his head "No. I'm sorry but I will be breaking patient confidentiality and I will only do that with Matt. I'm sure you can understand why."

"Doesn't take a rocket scientist" Patch said as he stood. Then he added "Matt whatever it is. I will not tell the guys you know something they don't and I will not ask. I know Blondie and you have a stronger bond than blood brothers. If you need any help. Please come to me and I will do what I can."

Matt nodded "Thanks Patch."

When Patch was out of the room Dr. Parker looked to Matt and jumped right to it "This is not the first time Sam has been catatonic. I've known Sam since he was a boy. Are you aware he had a sister that died in front of him?"

Matt nodded "Yeah Sara. She was hit by a car. Sam was like nine."

Jasper shared "Yes. He was nine. It greatly affected him. Since that occurred there have been several times he has gone catatonic. Afterwards, every time Sam went by the intersection where the accident occurred, Sam would go catatonic. It got so bad the psychologist in Ottawa recommended moving Sam to another location. That is how Sam ended up living with his father here."

Matt felt anger rise at the thought of Sam living here and growing up with the General. But he remained quiet as the doctor continued.

Looking back at Sam, Dr. Parker said "When he goes catatonic he doesn't always recall what occurred before and during. What Sam does recall is often skewed. The last time this happened he was fourteen. Actually it was on Sam's fourteenth birthday."

"The General had taken him back to Ottawa to see if enough time had passed. To see if Sam could live a more normal life in Ottawa. It didn't work out. Sam went for a run and ended up at the intersection. He was catatonic for three days. On the flight back he was silent and flinched every single time his father tried to get close to him."

Matt thought sarcastically 'I wonder why?' He answered himself too. With a father that treats you like the General treated Sam he'd flinch too. Christ the General just wanted a robot soldier he could send on mission after mission to kill all the targets. It probably pissed off the General that his kid had emotions and was impacted by his sister's death.

His attention returned to Dr. Parker as the doctor said "Psychologists are not the answer here Matt. Sam's seen many of them. He clams up and will not talk. I have seen how Sam responds to you though. I think you might be his only hope."

Matt dropped his head and closed his eyes. His only hope? Was he up to the task? Knowing that Sam went catatonic like this before made it both more and less scary. Less so because Sam apparently recovered from those times. More so because it was up to him to bring him back.

The doctor was right to talk to him alone. Sam would not want to share this kind of history with the unit. Just like Matt guarded his past until recently from the unit, Sam probably wanted to do that too. It would be up to Sam to share things like this with the others. It was not his place to share this.

He lifted his head and opened his eyes. Matt said "Thank you for sharing this with me. It helps to know it is not the first time."

Matt debated whether to ask his question because although the doctor said he knew what happened here, Matt was unsure if he knew about the attempted suicide or if Patch only told about the catatonic state.

Deciding that the doctor had proved trustworthy he asked "Has Sam ever attempted suicide before in this state?"

Dr. Parker was surprised by the question and his head started shaking no of its own accord. It took him a moment to recover and his eyes landed on a bullet hole in the wall. Jasper sucked in a breath "Oh my. I thought he was past thinking about that Matt."

Matt gave him a wry smile and wearily said "Me too. I was gone for all of two minutes. He got Blaze's reserve weapon none of us knew he kept in here. Apparently Sam knew where Blaze kept it. If I was a split second slower we would not be having this conversation doc."

Jasper bit his lower lip as his eyes closed and a strong sense of pain washed through him. It took a moment to gather himself.

Parker opened his eyes and looked directly at Matt "He was a beautiful little boy. I'm told that his smile and laughter would light up a room. That smile and laughter died when Sara died. That is until you came into his life Matt. You two connected somehow. Whatever it is between you two brought that smile and laughter back. If you could do it once, I'm sure you can do it again."

Jasper put a hand on Matt's knee "Whatever you need from me. Anything. And I mean absolutely anything. You let me know and I will get it or make it happen. Although Sam does not and will not accept it he is loved. Loved by his family. Nothing has been the same though since Sara died."

Matt nodded taking in what the doctor said. He would have to think on that. Then he said "The first thing I know I need is to be here for Sam. Can you make that happen?"

Dr. Parker said "Done. You are on medical leave until I believe you are fit for duty, which will coincide with when you say so. Anything else?"

"Sam gets the best physical therapist. Not that ass that looked at him like he would never walk again" Matt said. As he said that it clicked with Matt that fear of not walking again might be part of this. Maybe a large part but not all of it.

"Done. I will make some calls and arrange it" Jasper replied.

Matt was thinking "Work with Patch with anything Sam needs medically. Patch knows Sam and how to read him."

Jasper smiled "I already gathered that from the pain medication trials. Anything more?"

"No mention of his attempted suicide in his records. No mention of PTSD either" Matt stated.

"Done and done" Jasper said then added "He needs to appear that he is normal. I have no idea how long the catatonic state will last. We can arrange for his therapy to be done in a private room. Even in this state there are things that can be done to move him forward in physical therapy."

Matt was rubbing his temples thinking. Sam needed to appear normal. Hell that was going to be hard. Matt looked at Sam. He appeared to be sleeping even though Matt knew he was sedated.

He smiled "We need a pair of dark sunglasses. When we take him to and from therapy no one will see that he is not with it. Sam's never really talked with a lot of the other unit members. So it will be easy to distract them. If anyone comes around we can simply say Sam is sleeping."

Dr. Parker smiled "We can say that the physical therapy is very demanding and his body is still recovering. As for the nights I have ordered that he take a sedative to ensure he gets a full nights rest."

Matt stood and paced in a circle "That only leaves Sam eating. What do we do about that?"

"I could always reinsert the feeding tube. I could make note that his stomach is still recovering from the trauma and he is having difficulty holding things down. And with the extra demands of physical therapy I want to ensure that he had adequate nutrition" Jasper suggested.

Nodding Matt said "That could work. But whatever you note needs to make sure it is not something that gets him tossed out of JTF2."

Dr. Parker stated "Absolutely. He will be a soldier recovering from captivity. Physical setbacks are bound to happen. They have happened to many a soldier who then goes on to recover fully."

Matt looked at Dr. Parker "Why are you doing this for Sam?"

"Let's just say I care about him" Jasper deflected. It was true he did. William's and Yvonne's son was important to him. He and William had a long friendship.

But he and Yvonne had a longer one. They had grown up next door to one another. He had a crush on her at one time, until he introduced her to William. He could see those two were made for each other. Then he found his own lovely wife Beverly. But he still cared deeply for Yvonne.

Jasper had seen the lengths Yvonne had gone to try and get her boy back over the years. She sacrificed so much by allowing Bella to be the one Sam loved as a mother because it was what Sam needed.

Matt stared at the doctor "There's more to it than that. I can tell by your eyes."

Dr. Parker stood up and said resolutely "It's all I'm willing to say though. Just know that it is true. I do care about Sam. I will do whatever needs to be done. I'll do whatever is in his best interest." Then he added "I'll go now and make the arrangements. I'll cancel tomorrow's therapy sessions and be back later to insert the feeding tube. You can fill in the unit on whatever you feel is appropriate."

"I'll let them know that we have an ally we can trust with Sam's health. I won't share what you shared. That is for Sam to tell if he ever decides he wants too" Matt stated.

"Good" Jasper stated and held out his hand.

They shook and then the doctor left.

Matt crouched down next to Sam and said "You are loved by people you don't even know about. I'm happy for you. I will bring you back. You can fight me all you want but you are going to see the beauty of life. I'm patient. I can wait you out brother. I can listen to anything you say and it will never change how I feel about you. I will challenge you. You will make it back and you will run again. You know I'm a stubborn man, hell even more stubborn than you. So I will win. And when I win you win too."

* * *

 _ **Murphy and Travis Barracks – 2330 Hours (11:30 pm)**_

Lang looked up from reading his book as Murphy and Travis dragged in. "Where have you two been? You look like crap."

Murphy scowled at Lang and dumped his gear on his bunk, opened his locker and grabbed his towel. Then he headed slowly, limping heavily to the showers without saying a word.

Travis dumped his gear on his bunk and sat down wearily. Every muscle in his body ached. His hands hurt too. He rested his elbows on his knees and turned his hands up to peer at the cuts and blisters. Damn.

Lang saw his hands and said "What the hell happened to you?" As he got off his bed and grabbed the first aid kit.

Travis pulled his hands away and said "Don't bother until I've showered. I just don't know if I have any energy to shower."

Rivera and Hicks looked up from the game of cards they were playing when Travis said "We were training with Lieutenant Blain's unit."

"Why?" Hicks asked.

"Apparently they were three men down and wanted some inter-unit training. Something like that I guess. I never got a straight answer" Travis said. He groaned as he got up and grabbed his towel from his locker.

When Travis was gone Rivera look to Hicks and Lang and smirked "Looks like they had their asses handed to them."

Hicks smiled "Blaze is in charge of the elite unit for a reason. Kind of jealous Murphy and Travis got to train with him. Wonder if he was testing them to see if one of them would replace Braddock?"

Lang shrugged "Wouldn't put it past Lieutenant Blain to do that. He is one hard-assed man. Never want to cross him."

Rivera shook his head "I can't see that unit giving up on Braddock so soon. He's only been back a few weeks. Heard he started physical therapy on his feet today."

Lang nodded "Yeah I was there this morning before my recert training began. He looks like shit and can barely stand. Not sure he is making it back."

Corporal Steve Hicks flexed his muscles on his strong ebony arms then rubbed his shaved head "I can't see Braddock making it back. I might go talk to Blaze about getting a spot in his unit. Never trusted Braddock in the first place. Blaze probably had to take him because Braddock's dad is the General."

Rivera asked "Are you sure?"

Hicks responded "One of the privileges of being the son of a high ranking officer, you get the elite spots whether you deserve them or not. Don't think Braddock junior deserves it either. Mark my words, Blaze is gonna regret it. Braddock's gonna screw up and it won't be pretty. Blaze really should watch his unit's back with Braddock around."

Lang yawned "God I'm tired. I'm gonna sleep like a baby tonight after all the recert training today."

His yawn was catching and both Hicks and Rivera yawned.

Rivera walked to his bunk and sat down "I'm done with cards tonight Hicks. We have to be up and back at recon training at 0600. Time for some shut eye."

Hicks headed to his bed as Murphy limped in and laid down on his bed. He watched as Murphy rolled over and covered up with a blanket without speaking to any of them. That was fine by Hicks. He didn't particularly like Murphy. Something was off about him.

When he laid down himself Hicks watched as Travis came in and Lang wrapped his hands for him.

Within twenty minutes all of them were sound asleep.

* * *

 _ **Unit Barracks – 0200 Hours (2:00 am)**_

All dressed in black, faces covered, hands gloved Blaze, Winds, Mason, Ripsaw, Patch and Matt slipped out of their barracks in stealth mode.

Daphne sat next to Sam and watched them leave. She had stopped by earlier that evening to say hi to Blaze. Matt had taken her aside and asked a favor.

She had been appalled to hear that someone had taken Sam's wheelchair and he had been hurt because of it. Although Matt didn't go into detail of how he was hurt she knew it had to be significant for the unit to take this action.

Matt had asked her to stay with Sam because the unit had to take care of some business. She had asked not to be told what business so she would have deniability if anyone ever asked. But she had been around long enough to understand unit justice. Whoever did such a heinous thing would pay tonight. She had readily agreed to stay with Sam and watch over him.

* * *

 _ **Murphy and Travis Barracks – 0210 Hours (2:10 am)**_

The unit slipped into the barracks in stealth mode. They made not a single sound. Blaze, Mason and Matt approached Murphy's bed. Winds, Patch and Ripsaw went to Travis' bed. Blaze held up his hand and three fingers. He slowly put one finger down at a time.

Three.

Two.

One.

Blankets were thrown over both men and hands clamped over their mouths as they were lifted out of bed and carried silently out the door.

* * *

 _ **Base Ammo Depot – 0215 Hours (2:15 am)**_

Ripsaw locked the door of the depot behind him. The depot was nearly pitch black. Only enough light that the night vision goggles worked. Murphy and Travis were tossed to the ground and the blankets were removed.

Murphy shouted "Who the hell are you?" as he tried to stand.

He was manhandled to the ground and duct tape covered his mouth. He continued to struggle and make noises.

Travis sat shaking and speechless. Duct tape covered his mouth quickly. What the hell was going on? Who the hell were they? He was so scared he pissed himself.

Both men were quickly blindfolded and their hands and feet bound.

The lights were turned on low and the unit removed their night vision. Matt pulled out the laptop and set it up. He had a better idea than printing out messages. Those could be used as evidence. He had downloaded a voice altering program. The assholes would hear the message but not be able to tell who was speaking.

They had recorded the messages earlier. Each took a turn recording the messages and Matt further mixed up the altered voices by taking bits and pieces from each of them to thread together the messages.

He pressed play and a strange but eerie voice said "We know what you did. We know what you are. You destroyed our friend. We will have justice. Next time won't be just bruises. We will be watching you...always. Vengeance can take forever. You will never be safe."

Matt closed the laptop and put it back into the pack. He walked over to Murphy. The unit decided Matt would get first shot at Murphy. Mason and Ripsaw pulled Murphy up.

Clenching his fists Matt thought this is justice for you Sam. His fist landed square on Murphy's jaw knocking it back. Matt hit him three more times in the face then in the stomach.

Matt was breathing heavy not from exertion but from emotion. He went to Travis and landed two to his face and two to his body.

For the next thirty minutes the men rotated who was holding and who was hitting. Each one landed between four to ten solid hard punches on each of them. They hit Murphy more and harder since he was the one that actually took Blondie's wheelchair.

Mason was the last to go. His final punch was to knock them out cold. Up until then they had all made sure that the punches would not knock Murphy or Travis out. They wanted them to feel the pain of every last one of them.

They removed the blindfolds and tape. Blaze hoisted Travis over his shoulder. Mason did the same with Murphy. Winds and Ripsaw gathered everything up rolling the duct tape into the blankets. Patch poured bleach in the mop bucket and mopped the floor to remove any traces of blood.

The unit covered their faces again and headed out. Winds and Patch headed off to the hospital to dump the blankets and tape into the bio-hazard furnace. Blaze, Mason and Ripsaw headed back to Murphy's barracks and Matt headed back to their barracks.

* * *

 _ **Outside Murphy and Travis Barracks – 0315 Hours (3:15 am)**_

Murphy and Travis were unceremoniously dumped outside their barracks door. Blaze opened his pack and withdrew three beers. Mason took one and poured half of it down each man's throat massaging their throats to ensure they swallowed the beer.

Then he and Blaze poured most of the two beers each over them. They positioned them to appear as if they had fallen down drunk then put the beers to appear as they were holding him. Ripsaw smiled as he pulled out a bottle of rum and poured some into their mouths and splashed some on their clothes too.

The three headed out without a single word and unseen by anyone.

* * *

 _ **Unit Barracks – 0330 Hours (3:30 am)**_

Daphne was gone. She slipped out unseen by anyone once Matt arrived back at 0315 hours. It was a skill she honed being part of covert ops.

The unit circled around Blondie's bunk. Each held a beer aloft.

Blaze said "Deeds not words."

Matt firmly stated "Justice served."

They clinked bottles over Sam then all took a long draw.

Blaze looked at the men of his unit. He would do for any one of them what they had done for Blondie tonight. He looked at Blondie and then to Matt and said "Now what?"

Matt looked at each of them and then down at Sam. He took another drink of his beer and then Matt stated "We wait. We listen. We challenge."

They all nodded.


	18. Yankee, Drunk n Disorderly & Blink Once

**Yankee, Drunk n Disorderly & Blink Once**

* * *

 _ **Colonel Sutton's Office – 0500 Hours (5:00 am)**_

Colonel Sutton was still at his desk. He had been there all night after the call from Major Pearce yesterday. The shit had hit the fan in Sudan and he had to arrange for a unit to be activated from Canada to fly there for a rescue mission.

He decided not to head back to his place when he finished up a half hour ago. He was expecting the new Sergeant for Gleason's unit on this morning's flight in. He has spoken briefly with the Sergeant as he boarded his flight yesterday right after the shit hit the fan.

Sutton told him to report to his office upon arrival after telling him no he would not be sending him to the Sudan to help out. Shy's unit had that covered even though he hated reactivating them when they should be off rotation for another month.

So Sutton needed to be here even though he needed sleep in the worst way.

He was drinking the last dredges of his stone cold coffee wishing for more when there was a knock on his door. Sutton called out tiredly "Enter."

Sergeant George Washington entered with a smile and carrying two cups of coffee. One steaming hot and one iced to perfection. He knew upon arrival twenty minutes ago that the Colonel would have been up all night. He wished he could have gone to the Sudan to help but trusted Shy to handle it.

The Sergeant had grabbed an extra coffee on his way in to report knowing the Colonel would likely need one. And if not needed at least it would be appreciated. It was something small he could do to thank the Colonel, his friend, for his consideration in allowing him to extend his leave.

He came to pseudo attention holding two coffees and did not salute but said "Sergeant George Washington reporting for duty Sir."

Colonel Sutton looked at the coffee and said with a tinge of hopefulness "Is one of those for me Yankee?"

Yankee grinned "Yes Sir. Thought you could use one after last night." He handed over the steaming hot one "Just like you like two creams, five sugars and hot enough to cause third degree burns."

Sutton took the coffee and then sipped it gingerly "Aaahhh just what I needed. Thanks. Take a seat Yankee."

Sitting down Yankee took a long drink of his iced coffee and said "I know what you mean. Been living off this stuff since the baby was born."

Tom asked in a light teasing tone "So how is Martha?" He always teased Yankee about his wife's name. If it had been Martha they would be George and Martha Washington, just like the first president of the US.

Yankee laughed "Her name I keep telling you is Mary. She and the baby are doing fine now."

"Boy or girl?" Sutton asked with a smile.

"Girl. Named her Martha" Yankee joked but said it in a matter of fact voice.

Sutton looked surprised "Really? You wouldn't do that would you? Bad enough your father named you George."

No Yankee wouldn't do that to his precious little girl. His dad had not been as considerate. His dad was a history teacher and loved American history. So with a last name of Washington it was a no brainer that he named his son George. He had grown up fending off taunts and teases over his name.

His name was actually how he ended up with the call sign of Yankee. Yankee wasn't so bad and actually grew on him over the years and he actually preferred it to his surname. Unlike some people who hated their call signs.

Like Sutton. The Colonel didn't really care for his old call sign even though it fit him well. Sutton was truly a Centurion, a remarkable man chosen to lead not only for his daring courage but for his deliberation, constancy and strength of mind.

Leaving Sutton hanging in silence just long enough to tease him Yankee laughed again "No I'm not that cruel and Mary wouldn't let me anyways. Named the little one Roselyn but I call her Rosie. Sweetest little thing ever. Her little fist is no bigger than a quarter."

The Colonel smiled as he sipped his coffee. It was things like this that made all his long hours and sacrifices worth it. He was glad he could give his old unit buddy extra time with his new family. Especially seeing that the baby came early and he never thought Yankee would ever have kids. He wanted to make sure Yankee was able to bond with his child before leaving.

Sutton knew they needed to move onto business so he could go get some shut eye. So he said "I'm very glad you decided not to retire. I really need you Yankee. Are you ready to meet you new unit?"

"Yeah. But just let me say thanks once again for the extra leave Centurion. I know it is tough being down units. With both Gleason's unit down and Blaze's unit down things must be tight. So I truly appreciate the time you allowed me with my wife and baby girl."

Colonel Sutton chuckled "Been a long time since someone has called me Centurion. Don't let it happen again."

Then Sutton was serious as he said "I'm happy I could oblige. That young wife of yours needed you there to get through that. Rough when babies come earlier than expected. I'm glad they are both doing fine. Although it is weird to think of you being a father."

Yankee snorted "I may be old but I'm not that old _Centurion_." He deliberatey used his call sign again just to get a reaction.

Sutton glared at him but then his eyes lit with merriment. God he missed this banter with Yankee. "Robbed the cradle I think. What, Martha is like twenty years younger?" Sutton teased.

Then he added "Thought you'd be a bachelor to your dying day. I still remember the first day you joined my unit. All piss and vinegar and rough around the edges. You teased Shy endlessly about getting married and being tied down."

"Well I did think I'd always be a bachelor. That is until the right woman came along. And _Mary_ is only twelve years younger than me. No cradle robbing here" Yankee stated.

Sutton chuckled. It was good to see Yankee again. He had been under Major Pearce for the longest time and in the Sudan. Yankee had handed his unit off to Shy to command several months ago when he thought he was going to retire.

As he stood up Sutton asked "So why did you decide not to retire?"

Yankee shrugged "It's in my blood I think. I need to be in the field. It's why I kept turning down promotions. Easier to stay assigned to field work as a Sergeant. Don't know how Blaze manages to stay in the field being a Lieutenant."

Sutton grinned "He runs the General's elite unit. He can do almost anything he wants. But don't tell him that. The General has a badass reputation to keep you know. So Mary was okay with you reuping again?"

"Mary was all for it. She didn't want me to change for her. Said she married me for who I am. She knows the field is where I need to be. Like I said, I just had to find the right woman" Yankee explained.

Grabbing several files off his side shelf Sutton handed them over to Yankee as he said "Lucky for me you did. I was running low on good COs for the units. I think Gleason would have eventually been a fine CO, he was so very green though. Too bad he didn't get a chance to grow into the position."

Yankee pursed his lips and nodded "About that. I need to review the after action report on that mission. I need to see if there are chinks in this unit. Could his death have been prevented?"

Sutton said "In your hands along with the personnel files of the current unit. You have Lang the unit medic, Rivera your recon specialist, Hicks is tactical and entry, Travis is your techie and Murphy was a sniper but his last COs used him more for entry."

"There are a few notes in his file about not being accurate enough for the sniper position from Sergeant Carrall. If you need a better sniper let me know and I'll find one. I had to send Corporal Vinson off to Major Pearce for Trigger's unit."

Yankee asked "So why is Murphy still in the unit if he is not up to snuff for his position?"

Sutton shrugged a bit "Major Plouffe is in charge of training the men and unfortunately after Sergeant Carrall died and Gleason took over he treated Murphy like second in command. It gave Murphy a big head as far as I'm concerned. I don't think Murphy is anywhere near ready for that type of responsibility."

He waved Yankee up as he opened the door "I'll walk with you over to your barracks and introduce you to your unit."

Standing and tucking the files under his arm Yankee asked "Why would Gleason do that?"

Sutton answered "Like I said Gleason was green. Your better bets are Hicks or Rivera even though Murphy and Travis have been with that unit longer than either of them. I'd lean more towards Rivera from what I reviewed in his file. Level headed, fair and doesn't jump to conclusions without fact. But that is your decision."

Yankee nodded as he headed for the door "Anything else I should know about this unit?"

Sutton laughed "Only that Blaze did an inter-unit training session with a couple of your guys yesterday. Murphy and Travis I think. From what I saw last night Blaze worked them hard. Saw all of them dragging back in out my window around 2315 last night. Every last one of them looked dead on their feet."

* * *

 _ **Enroute to Yankee's Unit Barracks**_

As they exited the building headed to his new unit's barracks Yankee grinned "Blaze sure knows how to put men through their paces. He'd make a damned fine drill Sergeant."

"That he would but he is too valuable in the field. I cannot wait until his unit is back on line. Sam has a long way to go to recover. I might need to put a temporary in his spot and get the unit out there again. But I'm holding off at the moment" Sutton sighed.

At mention of Sam, Yankee recalled the sixteen year old boy he and Shy tracked from Ottawa to Toronto. That was a horrible situation with Sam being attacked in the showers at the high school. But Sam turned out to be very resourceful and lucky. If it weren't for Shy's tracking abilities they may not have found him.

After he and Shy found Sam at Marbella Ridgewater's home they had tracked down the police officer that helped Sam that night. The General tried to offer the man a reward but he would not take it. Said he was just doing his job. He and Shy took Officer Marc Fergus to dinner though. Fergus was an interesting man and his whole family for generations were police officers.

Yankee sometimes wondered if that officer was the reason Sam became a police officer. He also wondered what happened to change Sam's minds so soon after joining the Toronto Police Department. But he was glad Sam joined the Army and then the Special Forces. Sam was certainly qualified.

Coming out of his internal thoughts Yankee asked concerned "I've heard some things about Sam lately. Not all of it good. How's he doing really?"

Sutton stretched his back as they neared the barracks "He's making progress. But it will be a tough road for him. But if he is anything like his father he will make it back."

Yankee nodded "Then he will make it back. We already know he is like the General. Braddock's are hardy, resilient stock and military through and through. Hell some of the things the General went through would have killed other men. I expect Sam will surprise us all with how fast he makes it back."

"Let's hope so" Sutton said as they rounded the corner to Yankee's unit barracks. Both men stopped in their tracks and stared.

* * *

 _ **Outside**_ _ **Yankee's Unit**_ _ **Barracks – 0530 Hours (5:30 am)**_

Murphy groaned as he started to come around. He felt like he had been run over by a semi. No make that a train. His head throbbed and it hurt to move. He opened his eyes to see where he was. At least he tried to open both eyes but only one actually opened fully.

It took a moment for him to focus and even then things were a bit blurry. He tried to push himself to a seated position. He moaned as his ribs protested. Making it halfway he leaned back on the wall and stayed put.

Who the hell were those guys and why the hell had they given him a blanket party? That eerie disjointed voice said they knew what he did and that he destroyed their friend. Murphy wondered just what they were referring too.

Was it related to killing Gleason? Was it related to his last CO's demise? Was it related to Braddock? Was it related to the rookie he had fleeced in poker last week? Or the MPs he and Travis had fleeced two weeks ago?

Or was it that mealy mouthed orderly Milo they beat the crap out of to get their money back from because he was too chicken shit to drop the knife for Braddock to use to off himself? Was it related to any number of things Plouffe had him do to people that pissed him off?

God he just didn't know?

Travis woke in extreme pain. Holy shit he hurt. There wasn't a part of him that did not ache. He clearly remembered when one of the attackers stomped on his feet. That hurt like hell. His screams had been silenced by the duct tape.

His hand moved to his mouth. No duct tape. He opened his eye. Only one because the other would not open. His fingers gently probed the area and found it to be swollen.

Travis slowly turned his head on the ground and saw Murphy half sitting up on the wall of their barracks. Crap he looked like shit. One of his eyes was swollen shut and his lip was split in two places. There was a cut along Murphy's jaw and cheek too with dried blood.

That was one hell of a blanket party they were given. Travis could think of several people that might want to get back at them. Braddock was at the top of his list.

But Braddock was incapacitated and his unit was likely too tired and wrung out to do anything like that last night. Not after that training session the Lieutenant put them all through. They were all dragging by the end of it.

There were those MPs they drained of all their money from in poker, two months' worth of pay. They had accused him and Murphy of cheating but could not prove that they were. They were but that was beside the point. Maybe they wanted revenge.

Then Travis wondered if someone found out about Gleason. But why was he included? He had nothing to do with Gleason's murder.

Not even trying to lift himself up Travis asked "Who the hell do you think they were?"

Murphy was about to say he didn't know when they both were startled by a booming commanding voice that was clearly pissed off.

Yankee and Colonel Sutton stared at the men on the ground. They could smell the alcohol from where they stood ten paces away. The men on the ground had empty beer bottles lying next to them.

Sutton bellowed "Just what the hell do you think you two are doing?"

Both men saw the Colonel and another man standing next to him. They scrambled up. They ran into each other in their haste and ended up on the ground again. Anyone watching would assume they were staggering drunk as they tried several times to stand up and come to attention.

Travis stepped on Murphy's hand again as he tried to stand for the third time.

Murphy yelled "Get off my hand asshat. I swear you are such a damned klutz I should've kicked your ass long ago." He regretted the yell only because it reverberated in his aching head. He closed his eyes tightly against the pain.

Travis yelled back "You're the one knocking me over idiot."

Colonel Sutton bellowed "Enough. It is bad enough that you are falling down drunk but fighting each other too. You are unit mates. Beating the shit out of each other in a drunken brawl is unacceptable behavior. This incident will go in each of your records. There will be official reprimands for drunk and disorderly behavior."

Murphy and Travis finally made it to attention as the Colonel was dressing them down.

Travis opened his mouth and said "We're not drunk and we didn't fight each other. We were the victim of a blan… OOOOWWW SHIT GOD DAMMIT!" Murphy had stomped hard on his foot.

Travis threw a punch to Murphy's solar plexus in retaliation.

Murphy bent over in pain as his air whooshed out of him.

Yankee pulled Travis away from Murphy and said in an icy calm but deadly voice that commanded attention "The Colonel said enough."

Murphy stood up and said "I'm sorry for my behavior Sir. It's just that he was insulting my mother and I could not let it stand."

Sutton's voice was commanding "Was that before or after you got shitfaced drunk?"

"After Sir" Murphy said and eyed Travis hoping he would understand what he was doing. No way in hell they could admit to the blanket party. The Colonel would look too closely at their activities. Things that should stay hidden were sure to come to light.

Yankee looked to Travis and in the same quiet icy voice asked "Is that right Corporal?"

Travis nodded then added "But only after he insulted my mother and sister. Called them whores. I could not let him get away with calling my devout Catholic mother and my sister who is a nun whores."

Glaring back at Murphy, Travis almost smirked. Top that idiot he thought. Like hell Travis was going to let Murphy pin him as the instigator in this.

Travis realized now they could not admit to the blanket party. Drunk and disorderly was minor compared to the shit they could be held accountable for. D & D would not result in prison sentences. The other things would. But Murphy would need to play the role of the instigator of the brawl.

Colonel Sutton stared at both men. He was disgusted with both of them. He turned to Yankee and said "I'm sorry to introduce you to two of your unit Sergeant Washington. This is Master Corporal Murphy and Corporal Travis."

Yankee looked at the men "Don't be sorry Sir."

Sutton looked to Yankee. He saw the look in Yankee's eye. These men were in for a real treat today. If they thought Blaze was hard on them yesterday they would come to think of Blaze's drilling as a cake walk.

Yankee smiled beguilingly at Murphy and Travis and said "I'm your new CO. You can call me Sergeant Washington today."

Turning to Sutton Yankee said "I'll let you know tomorrow morning Sir if I will need two replacements."

Then he turned back to the two men he said "You have five minutes to be fully geared up with full packs. We are gonna have us a drill day and see what you two are made of."

Murphy and Travis stared at one another. Oh Shit!

Icy cold and deadly Yankee said quietly "Move now. If you are not ready in five minutes you can kiss your Special Forces careers goodbye and spend the rest of your military contracts scraping shit out of latrines."

Murphy and Travis scrambled to comply and ran into each other again each trying to be the first in the door. They glared at each other until Yankee said "Four minutes fifteen seconds."

Then they were both into the barracks and the door closed behind them.

Sutton couldn't contain his laugh "Have fun Yankee."

"I intend too. My other guys? Do they have something to keep them busy today?" Yankee asked.

Sutton nodded "Yeah, Lang is doing medic recert and Hicks and Rivera are doing recon training."

Yankee replied "Good. And I was serious Centurion. I'll let you know if those drunken stooges are JTF2 worthy or not by tomorrow morning."

As Sutton turned to leave he stated "I trust your assessment Yankee. Let me know what you need."

* * *

 _ **Inside**_ _ **Yankee's Unit**_ _ **Barracks – 0545 Hours (5:45 am)**_

Master Corporal Steve Hicks had watched the entire episode from the window. Colonel Sutton looked like he was going to blow a gasket. What the hell were Murphy and Travis thinking going out last night and getting drunk? Hell he thought they simply went to sleep like the rest of them. They were such idiots.

Steve sat on his bunk tying his boots and watched as Murphy and Travis raced to get dressed and geared up. Brawling with each other too; what a stupid thing to do. He was surprised they even had the stamina to do that after the training session Blaze put them through yesterday.

He leaned back on the wall and thought so their new Sarge was Yankee. Steve rethought his decision to ask Blaze about a position in his unit. Yankee was a legend in JTF2. Where Blaze was all fire, Yankee was all ice. No less effective.

Yankee had commanded the elite unit in the Sudan until he handed it off to his second in command Shy. Steve smiled. Finally this unit had a worthy CO. This unit had the potential to become the General's favorite in Kandahar. Especially when Yankee got those two idiots into shape or replaced them with higher caliber men.

Leaving Blaze with Braddock, assuming he even made it back to the unit would ensure Yankee's unit made it to the top. Braddock was such a screw up. He was gonna get someone in that unit killed one day. That unit better be watching their backs if they wanted to make it home alive.

Steve got up to finish dressing to make it to his recon training on time as he thought, yes things were finally looking up for him. Yankee would get his career on the right path. Steve could now see commanding in his future. Hell Yankee had trained Blaze for years and look where that got Blaze.

He watched as the clowns Murphy and Travis ran out the door. They were five seconds late and Yankee laid into them. Those two were in for a hell of a day. He tapped Rivera and then Lang on the shoulders "Hey. Time to wake up. You're gonna be late for training and our new Sarge won't look kindly on that."

* * *

 _ **Blaze's Unit Barracks – 0600 (6:00 am)**_

Patch lightly shook Matt's shoulder. Matt blinked his eyes open and sleepily said "Yeah?"

"Blondie is awake. Thought you would want to know. Still unresponsive though his eyes are open" Patch said tiredly and then yawned.

He had stayed up to watch over Blondie last night while everyone else got some sleep. Matt was required to sleep on doctor's orders and the rest of the guys were dead tired from their impromptu training session and blanket party.

Matt sat up and stretched then looked at Sam then said "Thanks Patch. Time for you to get some shut eye. If anything changes I'll wake you."

Patch nodded and headed to his bunk. He was so tired he would be able to sleep through bombs going off. He crawled in, covered his head with the blanket and promptly dozed off.

Blaze sat up and rolled his head around his neck. He was a little stiff from yesterday. He looked around the room. All accounted for. Blaze was glad to see Patch was now in his bunk and resting. Patch always put his needs last to ensure the guys were taken care of. They were damned lucky to have the best medic in all of JTF2.

Lying awake on his bunk with his hands behind his head staring at the ceiling, Winds was reliving the blanket party in his mind. Every hit landed and muffled scream of pain brought him some satisfaction. He wished it could have been more. Wished he could have broken Murphy's feet so he would know how Blondie felt. However, he was sure that Murphy and Travis, mostly Murphy would now think twice about doing shit like that again.

Winds saw Blaze up and moving a bit slowly. They were all sore from yesterday. Winds sat up and winced as he said "How bout we take a run to loosen our old bones and tight muscles."

"Sounds good to me" Blaze said as he rose slowly, feeling the ache in his muscles, and pulled up his pants. As he grabbed his shirt and pulled it over his head Blaze said "On our way back we will stop at the mess hall. Anything in particular you want Matt?"

Matt said "Coffee and some pancakes if they have them. Eggs and bacon if they don't."

Blaze headed to the bathroom and said "You got it."

Mason yawned and sat up hearing the others rising. He stretched and yawned again then said "I'll join you guys on that run. Blaze beat the hell out of us yesterday. We haven't trained that hard in ages. Good to know we can still do it though."

Ripsaw rolled over "Shut up I'm trying to sleep here guys. Some of us hurt from yesterday."

Winds laughed "Ah come on Ripsaw. You can't be hurting from a little training. Run with us. You will feel better after working out the kinks."

Ripsaw pulled his pillow over his head and grumbled "I'm just fine here."

Winds reached over and yanked the pillow off of Ripsaw "Fine?"

Ripsaw moaned "Oh come on. You know what I mean."

Winds stood and went to Ripsaw's bed and gave him the look. The unit had adopted Blondie's definition of fine and that word had to be challenged when spoken by any of them.

"I'm alright, I'm okay, I'm good, I'm fucking great. Better?" Ripsaw groused out as he yanked his pillow back from Winds and recovered his head with it. He was so tired and yeah he did feel yesterday's training session and he had just wanted another hour of sleep.

The guys all laughed at Ripsaw's grumpiness. He was never a morning person and they loved to tease him about it. Ripsaw was usually sour and gruff until he had his second or third coffee when they were at base during downtime. In the field though he was normally the first one awake after Blaze, keyed up and ready for action in an instant.

Matt grinned "Yeah that's better."

Being fully awake now Ripsaw sat up and threw his pillow at Winds hitting him squarely in the back. Winds picked it up and threw it back at Ripsaw. Ripsaw was fast and blocked it and the pillow dropped harmlessly to the floor. He reached down and picked it up and set it on his bed.

Ripsaw groused as he stood up to head to the bathroom "I guess now that you jerks woke me up I might as well go for a run with you."

As Blaze came out of the bathroom he passed Winds and Ripsaw as they headed to the bathroom. He stopped looking at Blondie. He slammed the palm of his hand to his head as a thought occurred to him. How could they forget about that?

Blaze went to Matt and sat close and whispered "Christ Matt we thought of everything for Blondie except … um … the bathroom stuff."

Matt's face fell "Oh Crap. No pun intended. What the hell are we gonna do about that?" He looked to Sam then to the bathroom then back to Sam. He wasn't sure what to do about that. Sam would be mortified if he wet the bed or worse. But he was catatonic and not responding to anything. Would he even be aware?

Mason watched Matt's head and caught the drift. He went to Blondie's bed and crouched down. "Hey Sunshine, how bout I take you to the head. You've been in bed a long time. Bet you could use a break."

He didn't expect a response and he didn't get one.

Winds and Ripsaw were exiting the bathroom and saw Mason scoop up Blondie. They wondered what was going on as he carried Blondie into the bathroom. Ripsaw and Winds looked to Blaze and Matt then the reason dawned on them. God Blondie would be embarrassed if he wet the bed. How could they have overlooked something that simple in caring for Blondie? Especially after what happened yesterday.

A few moments later as Blaze sat tying his boots he recalled Sutton's order too. He said to the room at large "We have to figure something else out too. Sutton ordered me to make sure Blondie video calls his mother in the next day or so."

Pulling on a fresh shirt Matt said "How? I mean he's catatonic. We can't let anyone see him like that. Not even his family."

Matt thought about what Dr. Parker said yesterday; that this was not the first time. If Sam's mother saw him like that he had no idea what she might do. He could not take a chance they would whisk him away and hide him in a looney bin.

"Let's think on it today. I'm sure between all of us we can figure something out" Blaze stated.

Everyone stopped what they were doing when ten minutes later Mason carried Blondie out of the bathroom and laid him on the bed. They watched but did not hear what Mason whispered to Blondie as he covered him with a blanket.

As Mason covered Blondie he crouched down and one hand went to his own chest to absently rub his scar. He was glad Blondie used the facilities and allowed him to help him that way. He was not sure how much Blondie was aware of given his unrelenting, faraway, unfocussed stare. But at least he was aware enough to take care of Mother Nature's calling.

Mason whispered so only Blondie could hear "I owe you my life Sunshine. You never need feel embarrassed when I care for your basic needs. It is such a small insignificant thing I can do to try and make up for the pain I caused you as you saved my life. My word is my bond. You can feel safe with me when you are at your weakest physically. My strength will be your strength. My legs will be your legs. My hands will be your hands. I will never see you as less than the strong and capable brother I know and love. I will never harm you again. Until you are able to do for yourself, you can count on me to take care of your needs without embarrassment. That is my word. That is my bond."

Mason stood and turned around. Everyone was staring at him. He looked at them with a small smile "I got this covered, no worries."

Matt breathed a sigh of relief. So Sam was not completely out of it. Matt said "Blaze bring back some oatmeal with raisins and some coffee for Sam. Dr. Parker did not get a chance to put the feeding tube in last night because of an emergency. If he uses the bathroom we might just be able to get him to eat."

Blaze had a hopeful expression and tone as he said "Will do. I'll see if they have any walnuts. I know Jarmal was looking into getting some so he could make Blondie's favorite cookies."

When the guys had left Matt sat down on the floor so he was eye level with Sam. "Breakfast will be here in a little while Sam. I expect you to eat it. You need to keep your strength up. You need it to heal. We are going to get you through this but you have to do your part. You don't have to talk until you are ready. But you will eat. You will sleep. You will do physical therapy."

He got no response. It was a little frustrating so he said "Blink once if you heard me."

Sam blinked once.

Matt smiled. Sam was in there. Sam was reachable. He said "Blink once if you will comply."

He waited and waited. He waited so long he thought Sam was lost again. Matt was surprised when Sam blinked once.

The joy was evident in his voice as Matt said "Good. That's good." He put his hand on Sam's and sat quietly with him. He had made progress and he would not push. This had to be on Sam's time table. Sam had to be in control of when he was ready to talk.

Matt reached over and grabbed the laptop and opened a playlist. It was full of angry songs. Strong emotions of hate, revulsion, animosity, repression, anger, vengeance, resentment, bitterness, hurt and rage at the injustice one could have to deal with in life. Matt thought that Sam must be feeling that right now and the music could be a vehicle to help him deal with those emotions.

While the music played he began working on a playlist for emotions of sadness, loss, abandonment, emasculation, anguish, hopelessness, defenselessness, insignificance and fear. Matt believed that Sam needed to feel these negative emotions first. Sam had to give in fully to them to release them.

Once released then Matt could start rebuilding the positive and bringing light back into Sam's darkness.

Matt was hoping what worked for him after seeing his beloved mother murdered by his abusive father would work for Sam. Music had been his salvation and brought him out of a very dark place. He hoped it would be Sam's salvation too.

He glanced up at Sam and saw Sam's fists clenched hard; so hard the whites of Sam's knuckles were showing. Matt was on the right track. He knew it. This was an emotional response. Hallelujah!

* * *

 _ **AN**_ _: Sam's favorite cookies to those who figure out why I gave Hicks a first name. His attitude towards Sam and statements in this chapter and the last one will give you a clue. If not, check out season one, episode three (The Element of Surprise) for the answer. I love working in small snippets from the show._

 ** _Drop me a review or a PM if you figure it out and to let me know what you think about this story so far._**


	19. Moral Compass?, Good Spirits, Crawling &

**Moral Compass?, Good Spirits, Crawling & Hearts Of Gold **

* * *

_**Base Obstacle Course – 0730 (7:30 am)**_

Mason was teasing Ripsaw about his smaller size as the four guys jogged over to the obstacle course.

Ripsaw quipped back "I don't recall you thinking my size something to laugh at when I shimmied through that little window and then moved the four hundred pound barrel that was preventing your massive hulking body from getting out of that building that was rigged to blow."

"Didn't say you weren't useful sometimes like when we have child sized holes to get through" Mason joked.

Winds chuckled "Mason you're useful sometimes too."

Mason grinned hugely "Like when we need to reach something shorty can't?"

Ripsaw just made a face at Mason for calling him shorty.

"No like when we need to scare people to death" Winds quipped.

Mason put on a fake hurt face "That hurts, how could you be so mean to me. You're gonna make me cry."

Blaze rolled his eyes "Shit Mason you should have gone into acting."

"I could have been an actor. I was photogenic. Did I ever tell you I was voted most handsome my freshman, sophomore, junior AND senior year of high school and offered a chance to model for one of the leading model agencies? Turned it all down to put my life on the line with you guys" Mason boasted.

Ripsaw sigh heavily like it was annoying but said with a smile "Yeah, yeah, you did. Like a thousand times now Gorgeous."

Mason pushed Ripsaw lightly as he said "Hey only Sunshine gets to call me Gorgeous."

Ripsaw sprawled onto the ground when Mason's playful shove knocked him off balance and he tripped. He stood up laughing and brushed himself off as the others stopped "Jesus Christ Mason, you gotta remember your strength and that we are friends. I'd hate to see what your shove would feel like if we were enemies."

Winds smirked as he spied Murphy and Travis running the track "Just ask Murphy or Travis. They'd be able to tell you."

Blaze and the others looked where Winds was looking and saw two very beat up men, fully loaded with packs running the track flat out. Blaze then saw Yankee. He said "What's Yankee doing here? I heard he retired."

Winds said "Why don't you go and ask him. The guys and I will go over and taunt thing one and thing two on the track while you do."

Blaze smiled "Just don't go getting into a fist fight."

Winds put up his hands in front of him "Words only Blaze I promise. That is if they don't take a swing at me. Then all bets are off."

Blaze said "On second thought Winds you are deadly with words too. I want you three to head over to the mess hall and grab breakfast for Matt and Blondie. Blondie might be hungry since he hasn't eaten since yesterday morning."

Mason nodded "Yeah, better use of our time. Those bastards are not worth our time."

The four separated with Blaze heading to Yankee. The other three jogged towards the mess hall as they started to joke around with each other again.

* * *

 _ **Bench Near Track at Base Obstacle Course – 0730 (7:30 am)**_

Yankee looked up from the files he was reviewing as someone approached the bench he was sitting on. Seeing Blaze he smiled "Well I'll be damned if it isn't my favorite rookie. How the hell are you? It's been what like three or four years since we've been in the same AO."

Blaze laughed "Hello Yankee. I'm doing well. It's been four, closer to five years. What brings you here? I thought you retired."

Yankee patted the bench next to him and said "Sit I'll tell you about it."

Blaze sat and noticed the personnel files in his lap but waited for Yankee to begin.

Yankee looked at his watch and then out at his two men and yelled so they could hear "You just earned ten more laps because you didn't complete that one in the allotted time. Pick up the pace or we will be out here all day."

Turning to Blaze he said "Murphy and Travis. My two drunken stooges. They are gonna learn that drinking to excess and brawling is not tolerated in my unit."

Blaze looked at him blandly and asked "Drunk and brawling?"

"Yeah. Sutton was taking me over to my new unit's barracks. These two yahoos were passed out just outside the barrack's door. Reeked of beer and rum from ten paces away. They beat the crap out of each other when they were drunk. Something about insulting each other's mothers" Yankee related.

Blaze realized that Murphy and Travis did not say anything about the blanket party. He wondered why briefly then thought that they were probably worried about official repercussions if they reported a blanket party. If they reported it then Sutton would want to know why it happened to them. Murphy's actions would become known and Sutton would definitely put formal reprimands in their files for that type of behavior. And since they had no way to point to who actually did the blanket party they were better off not saying anything.

Patch's idea for dousing them in beer and Ripsaw's idea for rum were brilliant.

Blaze grinned "So they are in for Yankee discipline today."

"Damn straight" Yankee stated.

"Wait your new unit?" Blaze said catching the part he had missed while he was focused on Murphy and Travis.

Yankee nodded "Yeah, tried to retire but I just couldn't. Mary said I was driving her nuts and I should just get out of her hair." He grinned "Not really. But she could see I was just not happy. She said she wouldn't be happy if I was unhappy. So when Sutton called and said he needed a seasoned CO I jumped at the chance."

"You always did prefer to be in the field like me" Blaze remarked. "So you got stuck with Gleason's unit."

Yankee rubbed the back of his neck and blew out a breath "Yeah. Not quite the pick of the litter these guys. Lang and Rivera have lots of potential based on their files. Hicks with the right guidance could improve and be a real asset. Travis is too much of a follower and lots of notes about indecisiveness and inability to think on his feet. Not sure if he is really cut out for JTF2. He is due for reup soon and I might encourage him to move on. Then there is Murphy. Well he is a piece of work. Conflicting reports in his file."

Blaze asked "How so?"

Yankee checked his watch again then called out "You two are off pace. You don't want to know what will happen if you don't move your asses."

Looking back to Blaze he said "His direct COs note mixed performance. But Major Plouffe's notes are all glowing. How the hell he was promoted to Master Corporal so soon I don't know. Nothing I'm seeing merits it. Hell there was even a reprimand for something in training. But that has been sealed."

Yankee's hand went to the back of his neck again and rubbed. It was a habit when something didn't sit right with him "I'm not sure what to make of him yet. I mean first meetings aside I have no idea what kind of man he is. What his moral compass is. I'm hoping after today I will get a better sense for the man."

Blaze cleared his throat "He has none."

Yankee looked questioningly at Blaze "What do you mean by that?"

"Just what I said. He injured one of my men with a callous and reprehensible action yesterday" Blaze stated.

Yankee stared at him "You have to tell me more than that Blaze. A unit runs on trust. I have to be able to trust the men in my unit. If I have a problem child I need to know so I can deal with it appropriately. What exactly did he do and how did he injure your man?"

Rage started to surface again and Blaze's eyes flared. Yankee saw and understood that look. He'd seen it many times as the man's CO years ago. Whatever happened was not good. He waited patiently for Blaze to calm enough to tell him.

Blaze knew Yankee's moral code was high. He could share with him part of what happened and he would keep the secret. He reined in his fury and said tightly "You've no doubt heard what happened to Braddock."

Yankee nodded "Sadly yes. Held captive and tortured for three months. More dead than alive when your unit found him. Long road to recovery. I'm truly hoping he makes it back. Braddock's a good kid and has a bright future with the Special Forces if he chooses. Wouldn't put it past him to be General material one day."

Blaze couldn't help but smile at the assessment of Blondie. It was something he had thought once or twice before too. "Yeah bout sums that up. Blondie is currently confined to a wheelchair. Needs it to get around" Blaze said. He had to stop to gain control again as an image of Blondie with the gun to his heart, finger on the trigger and Matt yelling no filled his mind.

"Okay" Yankee said when Blaze stopped speaking.

Needing to maintain control Blaze first said "You know Braddock was with Gleason's unit when he was taken?"

Yankee shook his head "No I didn't know that."

Blaze added "When they returned without him most of Gleason's unit was upset. Not Murphy or Travis. They shrugged it off as no big deal, no big loss that Braddock was taken captive. I know there are those that think Blondie gets special treatment, goes with the territory of being an officer's son, more so when your father is the General. Even if it is so far from the truth to be laughable if it weren't so sad."

Yankee wondered about the last statement but kept quiet as Blaze shared his thoughts. He needed insight into his new unit and Blaze had information that was not contained in the official personnel files.

Blaze took a breath then continued "That unit was careless with Braddock and disregarded his safety when he was on loan to them because they needed a sniper. Blondie said Gleason took Murphy's input over his on a sniper perch and was ordered by Gleason to go to the one identified by Murphy. Blondie said it was a vulnerable location without good visibility to the target area. But he went because that was where he was ordered to go."

"The unit was on radio silence the whole time. They left Blondie out in his perch for three days without once checking on him. Blondie's statement said he was out of food and water for two of those days. Having been immobile in his perch for three days he was in no shape to defend himself or run when the terrorists surrounded him."

Yankee's eyes narrowed "Sutton said Gleason was green but I didn't realize how green. That's unacceptable not to check on the sniper. Their asses could have been blown to bits if they had to go in and no one was there to cover them. But how does that relate to what happened yesterday?"

Blaze cleared his throat again "Shows a pattern of Murphy's callous and uncaring nature at least toward Braddock. Yesterday Murphy showed his true colors again. He thought it would be fun to steal Blondie's wheelchair while Blondie was alone and sleeping. Murphy hid it outside our barracks."

Taking several more deep breaths to calm the rage that was surging again Blaze ground out with the anger edging his word "Blondie woke and had to crawl to the bathroom. He hit his foot on one of the bedposts causing significant pain. Matt found him passed out on the floor because of the pain."

It was a close approximation to the truth. Yankee did not need to know Blondie was catatonic or the pain was one of humiliation. Emotional pain was no different than physical pain as far as Blaze could see in this situation.

Yankee took in this information and let it roll around in his head as old images of a bruised and battered sixteen year old boy entered his mind. Sam had been treated so badly once before. For a JTF2 unit to be so careless and unfeeling towards a member of the unit, even one on loan, was unthinkable in his book. Then Sam survived three months of torture only to be treated again with such disrespect and malicious intent by someone thinking it would be 'fun' was beyond pale.

Yankee was reeling inside. No one could be that cruel. Yankee's eyes iced over "You're joking?"

"No!" Blaze stated firmly.

Yankee looked at Murphy and then back to Blaze "Unit justice?"

"Served. I drilled them with my unit yesterday. Kicked their asses" Blaze said. It was only part true but the rest would remain unsaid.

"Them?" Yankee asked wondering who in addition to Murphy.

Blaze said quietly "Ripsaw overheard Murphy telling Travis what he did and they were both laughing about it. Making disparaging remarks about Braddock not being a man because he was crawling."

Yankee's voice dropped twenty degrees; it was frigid as his eyes shot shard of ice at Murphy. "Your drilling them is not enough justice for something like that. Especially if they were still up to going out drinking and brawling with each other afterwards."

"It was all I could rightfully do" Blaze stated. "They are not my men. If they were …" he let the thought slide and then ended "… hell if they were my men that would have never happened in the first place."

Standing Yankee said "Seems to me they need more drilling. Might require a full week or more of sixteen hour days to mete out the appropriate level of justice and make some significant attitude adjustments. Behavior like that has no damned business in Special Forces. No rule that we have to like each other, to be truthful there are some I don't care for. But we have enough enemies out there with targets on our backs to also be worried about our own members taking pot shots at us."

Blaze grinned as he stood "I'll leave it to you then. My focus needs to return to Blondie."

Yankee nodded "As it should. He is your man and your responsibility. Those yahoos are apparently my responsibility for now. Be assured they will not think twice about doing something like that again as long as I'm their CO and hopefully long after that too."

Both stood watching Murphy and Travis for a moment as they struggle to run. Yankee turned to Blaze and added "Tell Braddock I hope he recovers quickly. We need men like him in JTF2. If I can I will stop by and say hi in person sometime next week. But for now my hands will be full kicking this unit into shape."

Blaze nodded but needed to establish their cover for Blondie's catatonic state "Will do. I'm sure Blondie would like to see a friendly face. But don't be surprised if he is sleeping. Physical therapy is grueling and he normally sleeps in between to get his strength back up."

"Understood. Perhaps I'll wait a few weeks before I stop by. Catch you later Blaze and thanks for the insight on my unit" Yankee said as he headed towards Murphy and Travis who were still running around the track.

As he headed back to the barracks Blaze heard Yankee calling to Murphy and Travis in his famous icy calm but deadly voice to "Drop and give me five hundred pushups. Your knees hit the ground, your butt rises, you fail to go all the way down or you stop for more than two seconds and you start over."

* * *

 _ **Colonel Sutton's Office – 2100 (9:00 pm)**_

General Braddock knocked and entered Colonel Sutton's office. He took a seat as he saw the Colonel finishing signing some paperwork.

Sutton looked up and grinned "To what do I owe this pleasure. Not often you come to my office."

William chuckled "Just slummin' it ya know."

Tom pushed the paperwork aside "You seem in good spirits Will. What's up?"

"Just wanted to stop by before I head out. Catching the flight back to Ottawa tonight. The C-in-C has called a special meeting regarding our budget. Seems we might just be getting those extra units we've been requesting. But it means I have to be there in person" the General explained.

A satisfied and hopeful expression crossed Sutton's face "Good. Good. We could really use them. I hated reactivating Shy's unit to take care of that issue in the Sudan. But we had no choice."

The General nodded "I've been heads down preparing for the meeting. Any word yet on how the rescue mission went?"

Nodding Sutton said "Good. We were able to get the diplomates and the unit out of there with no causalities or injuries. Hell that might be the reason for the impromptu budget meeting with the C-in-C. One of those that were rescued works in the Minister of Finance department. Heard from Major Pearce the man was thanking them continually for getting them out of there alive."

General Braddock considered that a moment then said "You might be right about that. I know you hated to reactive Shy's unit but he was the right man for the job. Tracking has always been his strongest asset. Hell he found Samuel in Toronto when he was sixteen. Don't think anyone else would have. I should have brought him to Kandahar to track Samuel after he was taken."

Sutton gave Will a look "Stop that Will. We did the best we could. Yankee and his unit were fully engaged in the Sudan then. Speaking of Yankee. He arrived first thing this morning. He has requested two weeks to whip his unit into shape."

"Two weeks? Christ it normally takes him a day or two. Why two weeks?" the General asked.

Picking up the papers he had set aside Sutton moved them in front of Braddock and said "Yankee inherited a few problems with his unit. Let's just say he needs to make a few attitude adjustments."

Looking at Sutton as papers were pushed in front of him the General said "You know I've read the after action report where Gleason was killed. Something doesn't sit right but there is nothing specific I can pinpoint. I know Gleason was new to command. Perhaps it was his newness that contributed to his death. Perhaps Gleason didn't see a crack in his unit that contributed to it. I mean shit happens we both know that."

Sutton grinned "I hear a but there."

"You know me too well old friend" William responded. "Yeah … but someone getting the drop on Murphy like that just doesn't sit right. There is no way Murphy was on point if someone got the drop on him that easily."

Rubbing the back of his neck in frustration he added "Just between us two. I haven't cared for Murphy since Samuel saved his ass by jumping off the cliff in training. How Murphy actually passed Special Forces training is beyond me. Murphy showed reckless behavior that almost got himself killed and very nearly killed Samuel too."

General Braddock pulled the papers to him "If Yankee can see a problem with that unit in just one day then tell him he has his two weeks. I don't want any more causalities that could be avoided."

Glancing down at the title of the forms in his hand William quickly looked back up to Tom and asked "What is this?"

Sutton grimaced "The reason Yankee wants two weeks. It didn't take Yankee a day to figure out the weak spots in the unit. Just took us walking over to the unit barracks. I need you to review and sign these so I can get them filed and in Murphy's and Travis' personnel jackets."

The General took a few moments to read the detailed account. After reading the official reprimand forms General Braddock whistled. Then he said "Drunk and disorderly. Beating each other up over insults." Then he laughed "Christ, Yankee does have a problem to be resolved before they are field ready. Those men are gonna regret doing that after Yankee is finished with them. I trust Yankee will let you know if they are beyond redemption and we need replacements."

"Yankee said by tomorrow morning he would know. I saw Yankee out there about an hour ago on my way back to the office. I stopped to watch a bit. Yankee was making Murphy and Travis crawl on their hands and knees towards the barracks. Heard him telling Murphy and Travis that they had to prove to him that they deserved to walk like men but until they did they were to crawl everywhere" Tom said with a grin.

The General smirked "Yankee sure has a definite style for instilling discipline in his men. I expect those two have at least three if not four days' worth of crawling ahead of them. The other units are gonna be merciless in their teasing and jokes." He signed the official reprimand forms and slid them back to Sutton.

Tom looked at William and laughed "That they will. They will certainly think twice about getting D&D again. Oh I also wanted to tell you that Blaze will be setting up a time for Sam to contact Yvonne. I provided Blaze with Yvonne's direct number so they could coordinate a convenient time."

"Thanks for taking care of that Tom. Yvonne will feel much better once she actually sees Sam" General Braddock said as he stood. "I gotta get going if I'm going to make the flight."

Sutton stood too "I'll walk out with you." As the two friends headed out of the office Tom said "While you are in Ottawa you going to try and see Yvonne and Natalie?"

"Hell yes. Been way to long since I hugged my girls" William stated.

Tom patted him on the back "Say hi for me too."

Outside the building the two split and headed in different directions. General Braddock headed to the tarmac to catch his flight and Colonel Sutton headed to his home to finally get some decent sleep. At least Sutton hoped he would get some sleep. He never knew when something would hit the fan.

* * *

 _ **Next Day – Inside Mess Hall – 0600 (6:00 am)**_

Blaze, Winds, Patch, Ripsaw and Mason stared dumbfounded at the sight in front of them as they entered the mess hall. Laughter and heckles sounded off loudly all around them. A satisfied smile began to form on each man's face.

Murphy and Travis were crawling on the floor and pushing their food trays in front of them. Yankee walked slowly behind them in full command mode. Hicks, Lang and Rivera walked behind Yankee. Their expressions were closed off and their mouths firmly shut.

Winds turned to Blaze and said under his breath "God I can't wait to tell Matt. I wish Blondie could see this."

Yankee looked to Blaze and gave him a slight nod. Justice was being served for Sam.

Blaze gave a slight nod of thanks back. To his men he said "Let's see if Jarmal was able to get walnuts for Blondie."

Ripsaw smiled "Damn glad he is eating for Matt. Don't quite understand their connection but damned glad they have one like that."

Winds slapped Mason on the back and said "Damn glad he has a connection with Mason too. What did you say to Blondie anyways to get him to let you take care of him like that?"

Mason shook his head "It's between the two of us."

Patch saw Jarmal and waved then headed over.

Jarmal smiled and said "I got walnuts. They are not the whole ones but the tiny chopped up pieces."

Patch grinned "Perfect. Let's mix some into his oatmeal this morning. The extra protein and fats will be good for him. Don't forget the raisins too."

Jarmal headed to the back and returned a short time later "I added some cinnamon too. It will taste a bit like his favorite cookies that way. Let me know if Sam would like anything else. I got good connections and should be able to get anything he wants."

The guys thanked Jarmal and gathered up their breakfasts and something for Matt too. As they headed out they saw that Murphy and Travis were made to sit on the floor to eat their breakfast which consisted of two slices of plain bread and a glass of water. They had to ask between each bite if they could take another one.

* * *

 _ **Outside Mess Hall – 0620 (6:20 am)**_

Colonel Sutton was heading over to his office and saw Blaze's unit as they exited the mess hall. Sutton called out "Lieutenant Blain."

The guys all stopped and managed to come to attention and salute which was no easy task juggling their breakfast trays.

Blaze said "Yes Sir."

Sutton said "At ease men. At ease." The guys relaxed as Sutton asked Blaze "Have you made arrangements for Braddock to speak with his mother?"

"Yes Sir. Tomorrow afternoon at 1630" Blaze answered.

The guys had discussed it yesterday afternoon and had come up with a plan. But they wanted one more day to see if Blondie would come out of his catatonic state. If not they would implement their plan.

"Good. Sunday morning Ottawa time. Mrs. Braddock will be happy to see her son. Perhaps the General will be able to join the call too" Sutton remarked.

Confused Blaze asked "The General is not here?"

Sutton shook his head "No. Had to fly back last night to attend some high-level meetings. Should be back later this week though. Only a short trip." Sutton started to turn to head to his office when he said "Blain I need to see you in my office later. Say 0900. Need your input on a mission."

"Yes Sir. Anything else Sir?" Blaze asked.

"No. Looks like I'm keeping you gentlemen from your breakfast. Dismissed" then Sutton strode for his office.

The guys headed for their barracks. They started laughing and joking about Murphy and Travis and what Yankee was doing to them. They were in great spirits as they entered the barracks. They were hopeful Blondie would come out of his state that would make today even better.

* * *

 _ **Braddock Home – Ottawa (8:30 pm Saturday)**_

Natalie sat on the edge of her mom's bed after setting down the glass of water on the bedside table. She placed her hand on her mother's hand "Mom is there anything I can get you?"

Yvonne opened her eyes and looked at her loving daughter "No honey I'm okay right now. Thank you for everything dear. If you want you may go to Lisa's house like you planned tonight."

Shaking her head Natalie said "No I'm staying right here with you. That was a nasty fall you took down the stairs. You could've broken your neck."

Patting her daughter's hand Yvonne gave her a small smile "Yes honey but I didn't. Just some bruises and sprained wrist."

Natalie worried her bottom lip with her teeth as she looked at her mother's face. Her mom bruised so badly. It had only been three hours since her tumble down the stairs when her high heel snapped off. But her face where it hit the ball shaped post of the banister as she fell was already showing vivid colors. For all intents and purposes she looked like someone had slugged her. Like she was a battered woman.

"About that Mom" Natalie started to say.

"I'm fine. It only hurts a little. You know me, I have a high pain threshold" Yvonne tried to reassure Natalie because the look on Natalie's face was one of great worry.

Poor Natalie never did well when anyone was hurt. Her girl had a heart of gold even though she was a little wild and self-centered at this point in her life.

Yvonne was hard pressed to figure out what had changed. But it had started near Nat's sixteenth birthday. All the wildness and party attitude was probably just a teenage phase. So Yvonne mostly ignored it unless it became excessive and needed to be pulled in or redirected.

But right now the core of the girl she knew and loved was flying her heart of gold flag high. Nat had called for help and ensured she had been taken care of after the fall down the stairs. Stupid high heels Yvonne thought. Natalie had even called the event coordinator to let them know that she would not be able to make it tonight.

Yvonne felt bad missing the event honoring the wives of fallen service men. It was an event she felt compelled to support fully. She would have to make a special effort to contact Melissa Gleason. Sergeant Gleason had been killed only recently. The details of his death, like that of any of the Special Forces men, were tightly held and usually the real details could not be shared.

Her heart went out to Melissa and their young children. Yvonne knew what it was like not to be told the whole truth or to be told way after the fact when some details could be released. It was what the families of the Special Forces had to deal with. Yvonne accepted that fact knowing it was to protect the men that were protecting the country. Secrecy no matter how hard deal with was important and saved lives.

Natalie watched her mother's green eyes and it was clear her mother was thinking so she waited a moment. Her mom's eyes were so expressive. Natalie thought sometimes they could actually speak. She quit worrying the bottom lip and tilted her head "I know Mom. But that's not what I was thinking about."

Yvonne arched her brow "Oh."

Natalie sighed. Her mom probably thought she was being selfish again. So she hurriedly said "No. It's just that you will be having that video call with Sammy tomorrow. Sammy might worry about you if he sees how bruised you are. You know how protective he is. I was thinking with your sprained wrist it would be difficult for you to do your makeup. I could do your make-up in the morning and try and cover up the bruising so he doesn't see."

Smiling Yvonne patted Nat's hand again "I hadn't even thought of that. That's a lovely offer Nat. Yes please and thank you. Although, you know it means you will have to get up early on a Sunday morning. My call is scheduled for eight am."

"Geez. Why so early Mom?" Nat grumbled.

Yvonne chuckled. Nat never really got the whole time zone difference. More than once Nat had called her father right after dinner and woken him in the middle of the night. Natalie didn't seem to recognize that seven pm Ottawa time was three-thirty am in Kandahar.

"Dear it may be eight am for us but for Sam it will be four-thirty in the afternoon. He has doctor visits and therapy most of the day and it was the best time for Sam to call. Just before he has dinner" Yvonne explained patiently.

"Oh" Natalie said. Then she smiled "Okay no problem. I'm just gonna go look at your makeup to see what you have that will cover all those wild colors. Not sure we can cover them all up but we can make it less noticeable."

Natalie stood up and said "Anything you need just holler. I'm gonna stay home tonight and take care of you." She kissed her mom on the cheek "Love ya Mom."

"Love you too Nat" Yvonne said as Natalie headed into her bathroom to look at her make up. Her girl had such a heart of gold.

Her phone rang and she answered it without looking at the caller id "Hello."

 _["Hello sweetheart. How are you doing tonight" General Braddock asked with a smile in his voice.]_

Yvonne answered "I'm doing very well honey." It was true if she put the caveat 'all things considered I didn't break my neck' with it. But she wouldn't. She would not want to worry William when he was half a world away.

"Why are you calling so late?" she asked then she chuckled "Wait not late, early it's what about five thirty am there now. Is Sam okay?" She didn't note any worry, in fact Will sounded happy to her.

 _[William smiled "Well I guess it is about five thirty there. But I'm in Canada right now dear. I was wondering if Lieutenant Blain contacted you yet to set up a time to talk to Samuel?"]_

"You're here?" a small note of panic rose in her voice. Oh goodness no. If he came home and saw her like this William would be so angry with her not telling him about it.

Yvonne tried to evade though "That's nice dear. What brought you back?"

 _[William noted the change in her voice "Yvonne what's up? Did Natalie get into more trouble and you are trying to hide it? You know I always find out."]_

"Natalie is just fine and no she did not get into any trouble. When will you be home? Should I make you something to eat?" Yvonne asked.

Well technically Natalie would have to do that since the cook had the night off. On second thought Yvonne ran through the non-cooking options because if Nat cooked it would be inedible. That girl was a disaster in the kitchen.

 _["That's good that Natalie is behaving. That girl is gonna get into some serious trouble if she doesn't change her partying ways. As for something to eat, I won't be home tonight. I'm in Canada but actually in Toronto for meetings. If I'm lucky I'll be able to swing home by Wednesday for a short visit" the General stated.]_

"Oh I'm so glad. I've missed you very much. If you can make it sooner we both would love it. As for talking with Sam yes Lieutenant Blain called. I'll be speaking with Sam in the morning at eight am local time."

The two of them talked for another half hour catching up.

Natalie came in and took the phone and spent a half hour filling in her dad on her goings on. Then she said "Don't worry I'm taking good care of Mom. She scared me earlier when she fell down the stairs. Thought she broke her neck. Her face looks horrible though and I'm gonna do her make up tomorrow because her wrist is sprained."

She quickly dropped the phone on the bed as the voice on the other end bellowed _"YVONNE WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME YOU WERE HURT?"_

Natalie looked sheepishly at her mom "Sorry. Um … I … um I'm gonna go. I think the General wants to talk to you." She raced out of the room.

Yvonne picked up the phone and very calmly said "Now dear …"

Over the next hour Yvonne calmed and consoled William. All his bluster was because he cared so very much for her. It pained Yvonne that William seemed to always be away from the ones he loved when they were hurt, that hurt William. They ended the call with 'I love yous' and a promise from William that he would see her tomorrow night. He refused to wait until Wednesday even if he had to fly back and forth each day to attend the meetings.

After she hung up, Yvonne thought about Natalie, William and Sam. They all had hearts of gold. Yvonne hoped tomorrow when she spoke with Sam they could began to possibly mend the rift that had kept them at arm's length for so very long. She missed her boy.


	20. Perfect Storm of Misunderstandings &

**Perfect Storm of Misunderstandings & Black Matt**

* * *

 _ **Next Day – Unit Barracks – Almost 1630 (4:30 pm Sunday)**_

It was time to implement their plan. Blondie was still catatonic and would not be speaking to his mother. Even if he was not catatonic he was fast asleep and in that condition too he would not be speaking to Mrs. Braddock.

Mason picked Blondie up out of the wheelchair and laid him gently in bed. He waited for Winds to move the pillow into the right position so they did not need to move him again.

Ripsaw put the blanket over Blondie's body covering him from the waist to his casted feet. His arms were visible but the arm now only had an elastic wrap around it instead of a cast.

They all wanted to make sure Blondie looked comfortable and none of his wounds showed. Blondie's mother did not need to see those.

Patch crouched down and did a quick vitals check.

Blaze watched as Matt set up the laptop.

Matt said quietly "Is Sam all set?"

Blaze moved forward and brushed Blondie's long hair out of his face. The kid looked so young in sleep. Blondie was completely wiped out by the therapy session they just completed. Blondie had fallen asleep on the way back and none of them knew it until Matt took off his sunglasses when they got into the barracks.

"He is now" Blaze said and then chuckled "Never seen his hair so long."

Mason smiled and teased "He's beginning to look girly. We should see about cutting it for him."

Winds sat on his own bunk "No. We make no decisions for Blondie other than those that are absolutely necessary. He needs to be able to take back control."

Ripsaw plopped down beside Winds and added "I agree. Being chained for three months with no say in anything had to mess with Blondie's mind and he needs to feel like he is the one in charge."

Matt pulled over a chair to the table he had positioned in front of Sam's bed. He looked at Blaze nervously "Shouldn't you be the one doing this?"

Blaze patted his shoulder "No. You have meet Blondie's mother before. For this to work you need to be the one to do it."

Matt took several deep breaths. He looked at all the guys and they gave him thumbs up as they moved out of video range and sat down.

Patch said "You got this Matt. You don't have to lie or anything. Just tell her he is eating, sleeping and doing therapy."

It was the truth Patch thought. Yesterday morning they had all been happily surprised that Blondie ate when Matt put the spoon of oatmeal to his mouth. He ate the whole bowl. He ate everything Matt fed him the past two days. Blondie never talked but he was eating.

Today Matt had suggested taking Blondie to therapy to see if he would do what was required. Patch was glad that Dr. Parker was true to his word and got a private room. The old therapist was reassigned to other patients and the unit took over today. The new therapist would arrive in a week. Until then Dr. Parker had given them a list of things they could do to help Blondie progress.

Winds and Ripsaw had done the passive motion therapy today and Blondie did not resist. Mason had held Blondie up while he and Blaze positioned Blondie's feet under him for short weight bearing therapy. All the while Matt was talking to Blondie and instructing him on what they were doing and why it was important.

Blondie didn't resist but he didn't actively participate either. The unfocused look in his eyes never went away. It was like the lights were on but no one was home. But they all agreed it was better than nothing.

Patch looked at Blondie sleeping now and decided that tonight he would sedate him again. Last night he had sedated Blondie and all of them got much needed sleep. Blondie and Matt both needed the rest.

So Patch also decided he would continue to sedate Blondie for at least the next few days. After that Patch thought he might try weaning Blondie off that and see if the nightmares interrupted his sleep too much. If Blondie could sleep on his own like he was doing now that would be best.

Ripsaw listened to what Patch had said as he watched Matt. Poor Matt was so nervous being the one to talk to Mrs. Braddock. But Blaze was right, Matt was the right choice.

Technically speaking telling Mrs. Braddock that Blondie was eating, sleeping and doing therapy was the truth. They would simply omit the little caveat that those things were facilitated by them and not Blondie.

Giving encouragement to Matt, Ripsaw said "It's true. Just give her a few small details. Like he had oatmeal with raisins and walnuts for breakfast and that the cook went out of his way to get him walnuts because Blondie likes them. Maybe let her know that everyone here is pulling for him and looking out for him. It might set her mind at ease knowing that others are caring for him."

Matt's mind whirled at that thought. He didn't say anything to them but from what Sam told him it was likely she could care less whether they were caring for him. The night years ago when Sam shared with him what occurred on his fourteenth and sixteenth birthdays did not bode well for Mrs. Braddock to be a caring mother.

On his fourteenth birthday Sam said that he was shipped back to the desert because apparently he was a disappointment as a son that she didn't want him in Ottawa. He said he never did figure out how he had screwed up and pissed them off so badly that time.

But it had to be something huge because the General gave him the silent treatment on the entire flight back. The General was so angry that Sam feared the General would beat the crap out of him in the plane right in front of the soldiers.

Sam said that until his sixteenth birthday his mother had always been nicer to him than the General. Nice being a relative term. It was more like she tolerated him and did not yell at him.

But on his sixteenth birthday in Ottawa, only the second time he had been allowed home since he was nine, she had deliberately hurt him. She made him acknowledge out loud he was ALONE in world when she cruelly asked him if he would like to invite any friends over for his birthday.

His mother knew he did not know any kids having been home schooled in the desert since he was nine. It was a nasty dig. It was then Sam said he realized his mother would never forgive him for not protecting Sara.

Their visit to the Braddock's home after graduation from Special Forces had been awkward. Mrs. Braddock seemed pleasant enough. But she was standoffish with Sam.

Mrs. Braddock didn't hug Sam like she hugged everyone else. He saw her staring at Sam sometimes. The look on her face was odd and he could not quite read it. Matt wasn't sure what the looks meant.

But other than meeting her and saying a few words in greeting he had not interacted much with Mrs. Braddock. He and Sam had mostly hung out with the boy cousins.

They took the cousin that just got his driver's license out four wheeling, was it Zach or Kyle? Ah hell he couldn't remember. That had been the best part of that trip.

The rest of the time Sam was not quite himself. Sure Sam laughed and smiled while he was there. But Matt could see Sam's shields were up in full force around his mother and the General.

Matt came out of this thoughts as Winds said "If you get to a point you feel too uncomfortable just rub your chin and I'll cut the feed. I'll do that too if Blondie starts to wake or starts to have a nightmare. Losing the connection happens all the time. So no one will suspect it was done on purpose."

"Thanks I'll do that if I need too Winds" Matt said then took a deep breath and let it out slowly as he clicked the link to open the prearranged video call.

Matt saw Mrs. Braddock. He said "Good morning Mrs. Braddock. I don't know if you remember me or not but I'm Sam's friend Matt Hunter."

 _["Hello Matt. Yes I do remember you. You visited us just after you and Sam graduated Special Forces training" Yvonne said and she craned her head as if moving her head to the side she could see Sam. This was her first video chat ever and it was all new to her._

 _Natalie said "Mom it's a camera. You cannot see more than what it is pointing at."_

" _Thank you Natalie." She gave a small embarrassed smile and said "This is a bit new to me Matt. I thought Sam was going to be there."]_

"He is it's just that … well I know you were scheduled to talk to Sam. So I thought I would log in for him" Matt said as he turned the laptop so only Sam showed. He thought it would be easier to talk to her if she could not see his face.

Matt continued "As you can see he is sleeping. We just got back from physical therapy. Sam fell asleep in the wheelchair on the way back. I tried but couldn't wake him I think PT completely wiped him out again. But I didn't want you to miss your call with him. Thought that maybe you might like to at least see him and I can tell you how he is doing."

 _[Yvonne's hand came up to her mouth to cover her gasp. Sammy was sleeping. He looked so beautiful and so young. But she could only see his face. His hair was longer almost like when he was a teen and living with Bella._

 _However, she knew what the clothes and blanket covered. William had told her what Sammy had endured. She also knew what he told her was not the whole truth. William always shielded her from the worst of it. For that she was grateful._

 _But that was part of the reason she needed to see Sam with her own eyes. Yvonne asked "Can you move it closer to him please? I want to see his face more clearly."_

 _As Sam's face loomed larger and took up the whole frame Yvonne reached up to the monitor and touched it. She stroked Sam's face and hair as if she could really touch him. God she wished she could be there or he could be here._

 _Her voice laced with emotion she asked "How is he doing Matt? Truthfully please. The General doesn't always tell me everything and I know better than to ask."_

 _Yvonne could not stop the tears from welling. Sammy had been through so much. She wiped at her eyes with her braced hand to clear the tears. She winced as she hit the tender spot under her eye and on her cheek._

 _Behind the laptop, out of camera range, Natalie said "Say hi to Sam for me Mom. I'm going over to Lisa's today. The General was so angry and yelling last night I'm gonna make myself scarce today."_

 _Natalie smiled at her mom. It had been a long time since Dad had been home. Surely they would like some time together alone. Besides she didn't want to see all the kissy, huggy stuff that occurred when Dad came home after a long time away. That was just eewww to think of your parents doing that._

 _Yvonne nodded and said "Just be home on time. You know how the General gets if you are late."_

 _William would pace and worry the moment the clock pinged the time Natalie was to be home. That girl was clueless about keeping time. It drove William nuts._

 _Natalie said "I promise Mom. I don't want him all bellowing and raging at me again. I swear sometimes he looks like he's gonna hit me when he rages and his fists ball up and all because I'm a few minutes late when it is not my fault." Natalie winked teasingly at her mom._

 _Yvonne could not believe the outrageous joking that Natalie did at her father's expense._

 _One time he had raged like that. But the fists were clenched because the boy she had gone out with had ripped Natalie's blouse when he tried to get to second base with her. Natalie had been crying when she ran into the house ten minutes late._

 _The General had stalked outside and dragged the boy inside to explain why Natalie was crying and her blouse was ripped. It was a testament to his control that he didn't haul off and hit that boy. Especially when the boy said he had locked the car doors and wouldn't let Natalie out until she kissed him._

 _William had settled for the dressing down of the century and calling the boy's parents. He sent Natalie to her room when the boy's parents arrived. Then he made the boy tell his mother and father exactly what he did in front of all of them._

 _Yvonne thought that Lieutenant Clifton was going to keel over dead listening to what his boy did to a General's daughter. Mrs. Clifton had always bragged about how upstanding her boy was. She was beet red of embarrassment and her mouth firmly closed. Yvonne never did hear Mrs. Clifton brag about him after that. Actually the boy was shipped off to a military school._

 _Since then Natalie had joked about the incident; probably a coping mechanism. But in truth Natalie had cried on her shoulder and told her that she was glad her dad had been home and took care of her. Since then no boy ever behaved badly with her and Nat knew her father was in her corner and would protect her._

 _Yvonne sighed heavily "Natalie you shouldn't say things like that. Now go so I can speak with Sam's friend and find out how he is doing."]_

Matt was surprised to the see the emotion and the glistening of tears in her eyes. This was unexpected. Sam said his mother did not care for him. That she only tolerated him.

Sam said she was never outright mean to him, except for that one time on his sixteenth birthday, like the General was. But Sam said there was no love or caring shown either. She was happier when he was gone because he was a reminder of Sara and they blamed him for her death.

That did not jive in his head with what he was seeing and the emotion in the voice.

Then Mrs. Braddock wiped her tears away. Her wrist was in a brace. He saw her wince as she touched her cheek. Matt was glad he was not in the video frame as his mouth gaped open.

Anger surged in him. Someone had hit her. It was the size of a man's fist.

Matt knew all too well how his own beloved mother had tried to cover the bruises. How his murdering bastard father would twist her wrist until she screamed. How she wore a brace often but told everyone it was because she had carpel tunnel issues.

Then he heard Sam's sister. Natalie was frightened her father would hit her so she was leaving the house instead of talking with Sam. They both referred to him as the General just like Sam did.

It hit Matt like a ton of bricks. Jesus Christ the General had gone back to Canada, Sutton had said so.

Holy shit, the General abused his wife.

Matt's stomach threatened to heave. He had a visceral reaction to seeing battered women.

Did Sam know his mother was being abused? Could that explain why Sam thought she didn't care? Perhaps she had been beaten anytime she showed she cared.

Sam had said that before Sara died his mom had loved him. That she did what he suspected she was doing now, stroking his hair on the screen.

Could the General's abuse have started after Sara died. He knew the General blamed Sam for Sara's death. Sam told him that the General wished it had been Sam that died instead of Sara. Did his mother really feel the same? Or could it be the General imposing his will over her?

All these unanswerable questions and more swirled in Matt's head.

Trying to find his voice it came out a little croaked as images of his beloved mother overlaid with Sam's mom "Are you okay Mrs. Braddock?"

 _[Startled by the question, so concentrated on Sam's sleeping face and stroking his hair Yvonne jumped a little "I'm sorry what did you ask?"]_

Matt saw her jump. He knew that reaction. His beloved mother reacted like that when people asked her if she was okay when the bruises showed. Matt said more calmly not to frighten her "I asked if you are okay Mrs. Braddock. That's a nasty bruise and your wrist is in a brace."

 _[Yvonne ducked her head. Darn it she must have wiped the makeup off with her tears._

 _She looked up and smiled brightly "I'm perfectly fine. I just had a little tumble down the stairs last night. It's nothing to be worried about. Please don't share my appearance with Sammy. I wouldn't want him to worry. Sammy has enough to worry about getting better."_

 _Yvonne hoped very much that Matt would not tell Sam. Sammy did not need to worry about her. He needed to focus all his attention and energy on healing. With the way he was sleeping it seemed he was doing just that._

 _A little part of her wished he was awake right now but there would be other times to talk to Sam. For now she was just glad Matt had been so kind to call her and let her gaze at Sam. Just seeing him eased her worry a little bit.]_

Matt instantly thought that excuse was an old tired one. How many times had his beloved mother used it? Far too many times for Matt to even remember. An internal war began in him. Should he say anything to Sam about this?

 _[Yvonne asked softly "Can you please tell me a little about his days?"]_

Matt pushed that down and decided that he would tell Mrs. Braddock what he could right now. Later he could decide whether to tell Sam or not. He left the monitor on Sam and said "Sam's doing better every day."

He took a breath and continued "He gets up about 0600 every day. Because he is in a wheelchair right now the guys go and get him breakfast and bring it back for him. The cook, his name is Jarmal, really likes Sam. He found out Sam likes walnuts and got some so he could have it in his oatmeal in the morning. In fact he goes out of his way to get things Sam likes. After having breakfast Sam gets ready for the day. Because of his feet Mason usually helps him in an out of the shower."

"Then it is off to upper body PT, that stands for physical therapy. He does really good at that. Sam usually takes a nap or a rest before lunch. Again he eats here. In fact all his meals are here because he puts so much effort into PT and it is just easier for him."

Matt watched Mrs. Braddock's face as he shared Sam's day. She was listening intently. He continued "After lunch it is lower body PT. Dr. Parker broke them up so Sam could rest in between. Patch and Dr. Parker are taking really good care of him and managing his pain so he is comfortable. He started some weight bearing exercises today. I think that is why he is so tired this afternoon. Then after …"

 _[Yvonne interrupted and smiled "So did I hear correctly. Sam is getting to stay in his barracks instead of the hospital?"]_

"Yeah. Sam doesn't do well in the hospital. All us guys, Blaze, Winds, Ripsaw, Patch, Mason and me are happy to help out so he doesn't have to stay there" Matt responded.

 _["He never did like the hospital. Ever since he had a bad experience in one" Yvonne shared but did not elaborate. She was unsure if Sam had shared with them about Sara._

 _She said sincerely "Thank you Matt. Please thank all of the men for caring for Sam. I understand it can be very difficult being the son of the General. So I appreciate that you are his friend. I wish he could come home to recuperate but I trust he is in safe hands with you all."_

 _Yvonne began to choke up. She so wanted to hold Sam and care for him. It was so hard to be a half a world away.]_

Matt saw the tears welling again and reassured her "I will take care of him. We will take care of him. You will see. Sam will be better soon."

 _["Thank you Matt" Yvonne said as the screen flickered. "Oh my I think we are losing the connection. Please tell Sam that …" The connection was lost._

 _Yvonne stared at the blank screen. The tears fell unrestrained now as she whispered even though Matt could not hear "Please tell Sam that I love him dearly. That I miss him so very much. That I wish I could be there to comfort him and please give him a hug from me."]_

Matt stared at the blank screen. What did Mrs. Braddock want him to tell Sam? He closed the lid and looked to Sam.

He wanted to tell Sam his suspicions. But Sam was in no condition right now. He would have to hold off until Sam was doing better. Then he would have to find a way to broach the subject. It would be touchy. He only had his suspicions that Mrs. Braddock was a battered wife.

But it fit. Everything Sam had shared with him about his childhood fit that.

From his own experience it so fit. Every time his beloved mother had ever shown the slightest hint that she cared about him in front of his murdering bastard of a father she was beaten within an inch of her life.

Her love for him had been shared in secret. Only when his father was out of the house could his beloved mother show she cared. Only then could she hug, kiss and hold him.

She tried so hard to make up for all the times she could not openly show she cared about him. She shared her love of music with him. It was their secret. They both found the beauty of life through music. When the music played in the house he knew his beloved mother was telling him she loved him.

Matt swallowed hard. There had been one time that she showed she cared for him in front of his father. Only once and he wished she hadn't. That one time cost his beloved mother her life. He watched the life ebb out of her eyes because she had hugged him when he fell and scrapped his knee. His murderous bastard father strangled her to death solely because she had hugged him.

He would not risk Mrs. Braddock's life. No he could not do that. He had to think on this. How to proceed?

Blaze patted Matt's shoulder. Matt was white as a sheet. He asked "You okay Matt?"

Matt nodded.

Winds said "You did awesome man."

Mason stood up and went to Matt's side "Come on you look like you could use a little change of scenery. Come with me to get Blondie's dinner. Blaze can stay with Blondie until we get back."

Matt stood up and walked out of the barracks with the others.

* * *

 _ **Outside Unit Barracks**_

His mind was still whirling on his thoughts. Matt was in a dark place having black thoughts. He was not really paying attention to walking. The other guys were ahead of him. A cry of pain reached his ears.

Looking down Matt saw a hand under his boot. He looked to his left. It was Murphy crawling all by himself. Murphy started to scramble up yelling at him.

Without further thought Matt spun around and landed a full force hook kick to Murphy's jaw sending the man sprawling to the ground. Matt glared at the unconscious asshole on the ground. Matt's normal bright green eyes darkened to almost black. Matt spit on him and walked away.

The rest of the guys watched stunned. Something was definitely bothering Matt. As he approached them they saw the black eyes. That didn't happen often; usually when Blondie was in danger. They called him Black Matt when his eyes changed.

Right now they had no clue what caused it. But it could be dangerous. Matt didn't think clearly when he was in that state. They nodded in silent agreement that they needed to watch closely and make sure Matt did not do something he would regret later.


	21. Sam Finally Talks & Blaze's Challenge

_**AN: Warning:**_ _As noted this story is a dark themed. This chapter will go into great detail of the torture Sam endured as he begins to talk to the unit guys. Remember what Spike saw in his eyes during the bank call that made Spike cry just watching and what compelled John to surrender. You will know all that happened to Sam when he was held captive to cause that look. I've shown pieces of it in other stories but this chapter will be unvarnished in Sam's recital of things from his perspective. Additionally you will learn some things about Plouffe and Murphy you did not know – foul and coarse language involved._ _ **You have been warned. Not your thing, skip this chapter.**_

* * *

 **Sam Finally Talks & Blaze's Challenge**

* * *

 _ **Two and a Half Weeks Later – Unit Barracks**_

Matt sat with Sam. It was just after dinner and the rest of the guys had headed out for a short break to return the trays to the mess hall. Matt stared at Sam. Things were not improving like he wanted. He thought Sam would have talked to him by now.

Sam's eyes still held that faraway look. Sure he ate, slept and followed the directions given to him in PT but Sam refused to talk. Matt felt Sam's mind was slipping further away from him every day.

People were starting to notice too. Several other JTF2 members had tried to engage Sam in conversation as they pushed Sam to and from PT. Their excuses were wearing thin.

Matt slipped to the floor on his knees in front of Sam and sat back on his heels so he was eye level. Emotion lacing his words Matt said "Sam I'm losing you. Please come back to me. It's getting harder and harder for me to stay in the light. The guys say I do things that I don't remember. I'm becoming someone I don't recognize."

He raked his hands through his hair as he begged "Please Sam. Let me help you. Talk to me. I know that whatever you went through had to be horrific. Talk to me. Let it out. Just let it out. Keeping it all bottled up inside is like a festering infection. It will kill you. Lance the wound brother. Open it up and let all the pus flow out."

Sam just continued to stare. Matt lost it. He leaned forward and grabbed Sam by the shoulders and shook him hard as he raged "GOD DAMMIT SAM! TALK TO ME!"

Then Matt slapped Sam hard across the face. He got no reaction from Sam. The eyes were still far off.

Staring at the red hand print welt forming on Sam's face Matt's eyes began to darken to black. Matt's fist balled up, clenched hard and he pulled back. His arm launched forward aiming at Sam's face.

Matt's hand was yanked to a halt before it could connect. Matt found himself pinned to the floor on his back with Blaze yelling in his face "Just what the hell are you doing?"

Staring up into the faces of Blaze, Winds, Mason and Ripsaw with hard green-black eyes Matt started to cry. The sobs were wretched and loud. Blaze released Matt's arm and Matt curled into a ball.

Blaze looked to Patch who was checking on Blondie "Blondie okay?"

Patch nodded "Yeah. But I don't think Matt is."

Ripsaw dropped down next to Matt and put a hand on his shoulder "Buddy come on. We know you didn't mean to lash out. Blondie is okay."

Winds and Mason sat on the floor near Matt too and Mason said "It's tough for all of us but we understand how much tougher this is for you Matt. We don't think any less of you."

Blaze reached down and pulled Matt to a seated position. He gripped his chin firmly and made Matt look at him. He stated firmly but with concern showing in his voice "Talk to us Matt."

Wiping his eyes Matt looked at them "I need Sam to talk to me. I'm losing myself. The dark is taking over. Every day it is harder to stay in the light."

Blaze saw the truth in Matt's words. He sat on Blondie's bed and said "Blondie its time. Matt can't take anymore. He has been at your side for three straight weeks. He has cared for you and made sure you did not do anything stupid again. He is losing it because you remain silent. It's time you step up and help Matt. We are all here. Whatever it is that is going on in that head of yours you can say to us. I can't order you to talk but please, if you care even the slightest for Matt, talk to him."

The guys all looked at Blondie and waited.

Twenty minutes later they started to stir as Sam remained quiet as if he didn't hear Blaze's plea.

Patch stood up; he was going to draw up a light sedative for Matt. Matt's moods had become black more and more often. He had ended up with a formal reprimand for kicking Murphy, Major Plouffe had seen to that.

Other than that they had been able to prevent anymore instances. Mostly by ensuring Matt did not leave the barracks often. Actually he only left when Blondie went to PT. Dr. Parker had taken to coming to the barracks to check on Blondie. He said it was less risk of exposing Sam's catatonic state.

Patch had just turned to head to his bunk when a raspy unused voice softly said "It hurts too much. It always hurts. Just let me die."

He whipped around. The guys all stared at each other and then at Blondie. He spoke. Blondie actually spoke.

Matt said gently "Tell me what hurts Sammy. I'll help if I can. I'm listening."

None of the guys were prepared for what came next. Sam launched into a dissertation of all the pain he felt and had endured.

Sam started in a distant monotone voice "They took me. They hurt me. They debased and humiliated me. They broke me. I do not want to live. You have no idea how evil, degenerate and perverted some people are. They did things to me that aren't human."

Matt laid a hand on Sam's hand and squeezed lightly "Tell me. Let it out brother. Allow me to help bear your burdens."

The faraway look in Sam's eyes changed as he looked at Matt. They filled with unimaginable hurt and desolation. Matt sucked in a breath seeing Sam's eyes.

Sam's eyes scanned the room and saw the rest of the unit "You don't want to hear what I have to say."

Winds said "Yes we do kid. You need to let it out so you can heal."

Sam spoke directly to Matt "I was left alone with no backup. I could not run like Murphy and Travis ran. I was surrounded. I could not get away. The hits were fast and hard and I was on my knees in seconds. I didn't even have time to draw my side arm. They trussed me up and gagged me."

"One of them spoke and said well now it seems I have a new plaything. We are going to have lots of fun together. Then he laughed. I will never forget the laughter. It scared me more than the words. Then they put a burlap bag over my head. I could scarcely breathe. The gag they used was foul like it had been used to wipe shit. The bag had a fetid smell too. Many days into my captivity I wished for that smell, it was better than the one around me."

"I was dragged for a long distance. The rocks cut into my knees. I was thrown into the back of a truck, though at first I didn't know it was a truck. I heard the engine start. That's when the beatings began. I lost consciousness when they kicked me in the head."

A few tears dripped out of Sam's eyes as he continued "I'm not sure how long I was out but I came to in a small room chained to a wall. They had stripped me. They must have beaten me more when I was unconscious because everywhere hurt. It was so black though I couldn't see. At first I thought I might be blind but then daylight came and a very tiny slit high on the wall allowed a little bit of light to come in."

"When I was in the room I was always chained to the wall. The room was so small I could barely straighten my legs. I tried but the chains were so short. At first I tried to mark on the wall the days. But then there were times I was unconscious and I couldn't tell how much time had passed. Could have been hours or days."

"They never gave me any water. Except for the little bit I could suck down during the waterboarding they did twice a day."

"The only food they gave me was fetid and had maggots in it. It wasn't fit to eat but I ate it because it was days and days between when they would throw a small scoopful of it in the dirt in my cell. I had to gag it down. Often it would come right back up. When that happened I knew I had to eat it again because it was the only thing I would be getting."

"I guess there was a benefit to getting little water or food. I didn't foul myself that often. But I was never able to move much and when I had to I ended up having to lie in it. They never cleaned my cell. Like I said I wished for the smell of the fetid burlap bag."

Matt could understand the rage that rippled through Sam when he threw the bed and punched the locker now. To spend three months in your own filth was unthinkable. His heart was broken listening to his brother recount his horrors.

Sam was still talking and said "The only time I was ever cleaned was when they would hose down the blood in the torture room. They would leave me lying on the floor in my own blood and filth and aim a hose at the walls and then at me. I could see the red water running to the drain."

"I was left shivering on the floor until they were ready for the next round. Often I couldn't even curl up to protect myself. I lay there wide open and vulnerable to whatever they wanted to do. There were too many bastards to remember. Some were worse than others."

"They would taunt me with what they planned to do to me. How they were going to rape me and with what. They even showed me the sticks they planned to use and then beat me with them. They hit me so hard I would lose consciousness."

Sam was unable to share this part completely, not even with Matt. His gut churned at the memories and pain. It happened, more than once. It was hard enough to acknowledge to himself; there was no way in hell he could admit to the rape to the guys. They would never look at him the same way if he admitted this.

Somethings were just too horrific to put to voice and he just wanted to pretend it never happened. If he told himself it didn't happen then it never happened. After today he would never acknowledge it ever happened. After today the fact that he was brutally raped multiple times would be wiped from his memory. It did _NOT_ happen!

After a small pause to eradicate the memory, Sam spoke the only partial lie he would tell them "I don't know if that ever happened. If it did I wasn't conscious for it and I couldn't tell one pain from another anymore. Everything hurt. The pain was all consuming."

Ripsaw's stomach turned. The images Blondie's words conjured in his head were sickening. But they were only images he conjured. They were real for Blondie. Bile rose in his throat and he had to forcefully swallow it down.

Patch listened, his eyes widening with every additional detail. He had seen Blondie's injuries, all of them. He knew the truth and the extent of them. Patch would never reveal to any of the guys all of what Blondie had endured. Now he knew he would never reveal it to Blondie either.

Blondie definitely didn't need to know that he had been cruelly violated. Patch was glad Blondie did not know. Given all he heard and Blondie's mental state that was a burden Blondie did not need. In this case, ignorance was truly bliss.

But there were clear signs Blondie had been brutally violated more than once. There was scarring and tears that had to be mended. It was part of the reason for Blondie's special diet at first. Along with the damage to his stomach the damage to his lower track had needed time to heal.

Patch had made sure that Dr. Parker never put that in Blondie's records. The nurses and doctors that attended him and knew of it were all sworn to secrecy. Patch had seen sadness, compassion and outrage on their faces as they treated Blondie. So Patch had no worries that they would ever reveal those injuries to anyone. Blondie would never know and it was better that way.

Sam's voice broke "At first I knew you would be coming for me. All I had to do was survive until you came. But you didn't come. You left me there for so long it was hard to keep faith that you would not just abandon me like my family had."

Blaze closed his eyes as pain ripped through his heart. Dammit he should have ignored protocol and orders sooner. Deep unrelenting guilt flowed through him into every pore.

Sam continued talking "Every day it was pain, pain and more pain. They delighted in causing me pain. I was their plaything like the guy said when they captured me."

"I was never asked any questions about intel. They just inflicted excruciating, unrelenting pain for the sole purpose of amusing themselves. They knew I was with JTF2 and taunted me with that. I only ever said Master Corporal Samuel W. Braddock B23-509-653. I hate the sound of that now. It turns my stomach."

"They wanted me to scream and cry. They did things to make me scream, inhuman things. They let rats crawl all over me and bite me. They dropped scorpions on me and aggravated them until they stung me."

"The sick bastards got pleasure when I screamed. I saw some jacking off to my screams. I tried not to scream but it hurt too much and I couldn't swallow all my screams. They laughed and came with my screams."

Matt squeezed Sam's hand "It was okay to scream and cry Sammy."

Sam's eyes blazed with rage and bore into Matt's as he yelled "No it is not okay to scream and cry. Real men don't cry."

Blaze whispered to Matt "Just let him talk." To Blondie he said softly "Go on kiddo. We will just listen."

Sam rolled to his back and stared at the ceiling and continued "Every morning they dragged me out of that fetid cell. They beat me with their fists, with metal rods, with sticks and kicked me with their boots. The bastards wore steel toed boots. They would spit on me. They would piss on me and in my face aiming for my mouth."

"Sometimes they would stake me out on the ground and leave me to burn in the sun for hours. The burns were so bad I screamed when they touched me. I couldn't decide which hurt more, the burns on my back as the whip landed or the burns on my genitals when they would take pleasure in popping the blisters."

"Several of them enjoyed pouring alcohol into my open wounds. I guess I should have thanked them. It kept them from getting infected. But it hurt so much and they were merciless and laughed as I screamed my throat raw. I wished I could pass out to escape the pain but they always stopped for a moment before that could happen. Then they started again."

Sam went on to detail graphically all manner of torture he was subjected too. His voice became colorless, deadened and monotone like he was talking about someone else. He told them how he had been strung up by his ankles and left to hang while whoever walked by would beat him as they saw fit.

He told them how they chained his arms to the posts and whipped him. How he would watch the rivulets of blood dripping down his thighs and wonder just how much blood a body held and wishing his was all gone so he could just die and escape the pain.

Sam related how they would drag him around and how the hot rocks would bite into his knees or worse they pulled him by his feet and the rocks and dirt embedded themselves in his chest or back. He told how they would stomp on his feet as he lay staked out or chained up.

He explained how he would be staked out in an X form. How the rough ropes were tied so tightly on his raw wrists and ankles that he would begin to lose feeling in his hands and feet. How when they were released and sensation returned he would groan and sometimes cry out in pain at the burning pins and needles sensation in his hands and feet.

Sam told them that the bastards pulled his arms and legs so wide it felt like his bones would pop out of joint. He shared that they purposely knocked his shoulders out of joint numerous times and how they would move his arm to cause him more pain. Sam said they would put it back into place after a few days just so a few days later they could hear him scream as they popped it out of joint again.

He told them how he would beg them to just kill him and how they laughed in his face and told him he would die only when they tired of playing with him. Sam shared how he wished for the next kick to the head to be a fatal one. How every time he woke up he cried because he was still alive.

Sam's voice then changed to desolation as he said "For so long I kept hope that you would come for me. I resisted the things they would tell me. But one day the music died. I could no longer hear Matt. Matt didn't send me music anymore. That's when I began to believe them. They said things my father had said to me for years. How could it not be true?"

"I'm worthless. I'm unlovable. I will never measure up. I'm a failure. Hell I couldn't even keep from getting caught. Some soldier I am. I can't even walk now. So I'm even less than worthless. No wonder Matt left me."

"Matt finally saw what everyone knew that I'm bad, worthless and that I do not deserve to be loved. I'm a failure. I should be alone, forgotten and punished for ever being born. Things would be better if I had never been born."

Tears were running down Matt's face as he listened. His heart shattered and it was hard to breathe. Matt wanted so badly to pull Sam into a hug and tell Sam he didn't leave him. That he didn't abandon him.

But Matt held his tongue and remained where he was. Sam was talking and he needed to get this out no matter how painful it was for them all to hear. However, Matt's gaze never left Sam's face and his hand never let go of Sam's hand.

Sam covered his eyes with his arm to hide the tears that rolled down. He could not stop the shaking that had begun "I lost count how many times they electrocuted me. The worst was when they left the needles in and left me in the water from the waterboarding. Every inch of my body sizzled in searing pain."

"They would tie me down. Stake me out naked in this little room, I was always naked; open, defenseless, vulnerable and helpless. At least ten men at a time would crowd around me. They would hit me, kick me and piss on me."

"The ropes were tight but I still struggled. I tried to get out of the bonds that held me down. They cut deeply into my wrists and ankles. I was trapped and exposed and they laughed at my efforts. Their laughter increased the louder I screamed."

"I saw my blood splattered and stained on their boots. But kicks to my body, head, arms and legs or the stomps on my feet were not the worst of it. The needles. Long needles. They stuck me with hundreds of needles."

The shaking of Sam's body increased as his muscles involuntarily tensed and became rigid "Every day they jabbed them in and out of me hundreds and hundreds of times. Their laughter was disgusting. I tried not to scream. But they stuck the needles everywhere. EVERYWHERE!"

Sam shuddered violently and tears flowed freely down his face. He curled up and cupped himself protectively as his body and voice shook with emotion "They found a way to make me scream louder."

"Their excitement reached fevered pitches when they debased me. My shrieks of pain amplified tenfold when they jabbed the needles repeatedly into my cock and balls. I couldn't hold back and I screamed as they laughed."

The guys looked at each other. They were hardened soldiers that had seen death and atrocities in many forms. But they were all white; all color had leached from their faces.

Ripsaw clamped a hand over his mouth. He was gonna be sick. He scrambled away with Patch following right behind him.

* * *

 _ **Outside Unit Barracks**_

Ripsaw barely made it outside before he hurled. Patch joined him in losing his dinner too.

The two sat on the ground after. Both were pale and shaky.

Patch couldn't even put to voice his feelings. Never had he heard of such vile, despicable things perpetrated on someone. That this happened to his friend, his brother was inconceivable.

But it had happened to Blondie, Patch had seen with his own eyes the results on Blondie's body. He had wondered how some of the wounds were inflicted. But never in his wildest imagination had he thought that was how. It was pure medieval torture right down to the rats allowed to chew on Blondie.

His heart hurt for Blondie. Patch understood now why Blondie wanted to die. How did someone come back from depraved torture like that? Patch let the tears fall for Blondie. He didn't care who saw.

Ripsaw stammered out unsteadily "I … I don't know … God I don't know if I can hear anymore." He wiped at the wetness on his face only realizing then that he was crying as he said "I want to help Blondie but I …"

He was interrupted as Winds stormed through the door and into the bushes. They heard Winds retching his guts out. When he was done Winds turned to Patch and Ripsaw and drew a shaky hand across his lips. Winds collapsed onto the ground and stared at the door. He couldn't go back. The things Blondie endured were beyond inhuman. Those bastards were animals.

Winds turned his eyes to Ripsaw and Patch his voice shook with rage so intense he thought he would explode "I can't go back in. Hearing him is tearing me up inside. We left him there for three fucking months. We followed orders when we should have gone rogue that first god damned day. I vow today that I will not rest until every last one of those fucking animals is dead."

The door opened and Mason staggered out. He shook visibly with rage. His large hands fisted and he slammed them into the wooden fencing. The wood splintered and flew in every direction as Mason's fists continued their assault on the fence.

None of the others stopped him. It was clear that Mason was in full highland warrior mode and that was not the time to get into his path. It was deadly to do so. The fence was inanimate and a safer bet for Mason to vent his fury.

Winds often wondered what it would be like to see Mason wield a claymore. Oh how he would like to let Mason loose on those animals. If they had known when they rescued Blondie what they knew today not a single animal in that compound would have been left alive.

* * *

 _ **Inside Unit Barracks**_

Sam continued to relate the horrors he had been subjected too with the needles. How they would leave him lying there staked out full of needles. How they would come by and kick him driving the needles deeper.

Blaze could not take much more. He was trying to be strong. He was the CO after all. It was his job to be strong when the unit needed him to be strong.

But this. This was trying his soul. A fire was burning in his gut. He wanted to kill the bastards. Drawing and quartering them would be too easy a death for them. Then his attention was drawn by a change in Blondie's tone.

Sam's voice dropped an octave as rage shook him "One. One man. The one that called me his plaything. He was the worst. He made me trust him. Every damn time I fell for it. He heated the needles. Said he cared and that he didn't want me to get an infection. He would wipe my face with a cool rag. He would remove the needles that were embedded so far that they needed tweezers to get them out. All the while he looked at me with a caring face."

Blaze put a hand on Blondie. He had to let him know that he was not alone. Matt held one hand and Blaze put his hand on Blondie's thigh. He lightly patted it as if to say it is okay. I'm here and you will be okay.

But the horrors of what he was listening to were almost too much to bear. Poor Blondie. He understood now why the kid had gone after his gun. How did one live through such debasement and pain and find balance again?

Sam felt the hand on his thigh just like the One had done. He looked to Blaze. His face was full of pity. Sam could not take pity. No. No fucking pity. The One always lured him in with pity. Always got him to trust him with looks of concern.

Echoes of disgusting laughter full of malevolence filled Sam's ears and roared in his head. Sam's stomach clenched. He gagged as saliva gathered in his mouth in preparation of hurling.

Sam's chest and back felt like they ripped open. His breathing became labored short fast gasps. He could not help himself, he screamed and screamed and screamed at the top of his lungs making his throat raw.

Then he lunged at Blaze grabbing for his knife. Sam shrieked "I want to die. Let me die. Give me the god damned knife. I cannot live with the looks of pity. Let me die you god damned fucking bastard. Let me die. I want to die."

Blaze struggled against Blondie as they both fell off the bed and onto the floor. His main goal was to keep hold of his knife as Blondie attacked him full force trying to take it from him as he screamed.

Matt was yelling at Sam "Sam no. Stop. Let go. That's Blaze. Stop" as he tried to pull Sam off of Blaze. Sam was surprisingly strong right now as he was wrapped inside whatever he was seeing.

Winds, Mason, Ripsaw and Patch raced into the barracks. The five of them finally pulled a wild, screaming Blondie off Blaze. Mason pulled Blondie's back to his chest and trapped his arms at his side by wrapping his larger and stronger ones around Blondie. He likewise wrapped his legs around Blondie's legs as Blondie continued to struggle.

Mason was using all his strength simply to contain Blondie as he continued to thrash and scream at Blaze to give him the knife and let him die.

Matt was in front of Sam and trying to break through. He was yelling loudly but Sam was not hearing him. Matt finally yelled in his most authoritative voice which sounded eerily like General Braddock's command voice "Master Corporal Braddock. Stop. That is a direct order."

Sam instantly stilled and quit screaming. He was breathing hard. Then he started shaking uncontrollably and retching. None of them expected that. Mason released him and turned Blondie to the side as his dinner reappeared on the floor.

Ripsaw saw it and the image of Blondie eating his own vomit to survive had him running for the bathroom to hurl himself again.

Matt stroked Sam's back as the retching continued even though it was only dry heaves now.

Patched rushed to get towels to clean up the mess and to get water for Blondie to rinse his mouth.

Blaze stood unsteadily and staggered back several paces. His internal thoughts spilled out "What the hell? What the fuck just happened?"

His eyes sought out Winds as he said "I don't know what I did."

Winds pulled Blaze to him and put a brotherly arm around his shoulder. He saw Blaze was devastated and confused. Winds stated firmly "You didn't do anything. Something must have triggered a memory."

Matt whispered to Sam "I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. We will get you through this together. I promise you brother.

Sam turned his head and said very quietly "I can't take pity. No pity."

Matt wiped all emotion off his face "No pity. Understood. Do you have more to tell me?"

Sam nodded yes and then looked down. Once started he needed to tell all. He needed to give voice to his pain. Every last disgusting detail needed to be given a voice. It happened to him. He had to deal with it. This was the only way he knew how. Matt would know how to help him but Matt had to know all of it.

Matt looked to Patch and Mason "Get Sam back in bed please."

Patch asked "Sedative?"

Matt shook his head "No he needs to tell me more." Matt stood and looked at the guys and said "If you cannot school your emotions. All emotions it is better if you leave."

Ripsaw bowed his head. He did not want to leave but he knew he could not be unemotional. He looked to Matt and said "I'll be right outside if you need me."

Matt patted his shoulder "Understood."

Ripsaw headed out. Winds looked at Blondie who currently had his eyes closed. Then at Blaze and the door "I'll be with Ripsaw." Then he followed Ripsaw outside.

Patch's face was covered in emotion and he looked to Matt "Need me just call out. I run fast."

Mason stood behind Blondie. His hands a bloody mess. He looked down at them then to Blaze.

Blaze patted Matt on the shoulder "You're a stronger man than me Hunter. You know where I will be. Mason let's go get those hands tended." He picked up Patch's first aid kit and waited at the door.

Mason struggled with leaving.

Without opening his eyes Sam said "It's okay Mason. Go."

Mason headed out the door with one look at Matt who's face held not a hint of emotion. Mason wondered just how the man was able to do that. Both Matt and Blondie seemed to be able to do that. They could slip on a mask and no one could read what they felt.

It was like they closed off all emotion and shut down. It was a thing to behold but to Mason it was damned scary too. He now knew that Matt had a terrible childhood and witnessed his mother murdered by his father. Sam's father was horrible to him too. Perhaps it was traumatic childhoods that linked them and allowed them to show no emotion.

The door closed and Matt walked to the table and grabbed a water bottle for both of them.

Matt handed one to Sam and said "Drink this first then talk."

Sam took the water bottle and started drinking. Matt sat on the floor in front of Sam and drank his water. He needed a bit of time to steel himself for the rest of it. He had no clue how he was going to get Sam's mind unwarped. Those bastards had done a number on him.

* * *

 _ **Outside Unit Barracks**_

Blaze paced back and forth. As CO he should be in there helping. Blondie was his responsibility.

Patch tended Mason's hands and pulled out a few splinters. He cleaned them and as he began to wrap them he said "Don't think you broke any bones. But they will be sore for a few days."

Mason nodded "Yeah. Nothing I can't handle." Rage surge up in him again "When I get my hands on those bastards I'm gonna rip their heads off with my bare hands."

Winds was about to respond when they were all startled by a voice they could not stand.

Major Plouffe saw the unit outside the barracks and the destroyed fence section. He saw the unit medic tending the bear's hands. Master Corporal Srònaich' O' Naoimhín intrigued and frightened him at the same time. Mason was so damned attractive even with the scarred face. That was the only injury to this unit that Plouffe wished had not happened.

Plouffe wanted a new sex partner but didn't dare approach Mason yet. Mason was clearly heterosexual like Murphy so he wouldn't approach him until he had something to hold over Mason's head. Then he would demand payment to keep it secret just like he did with Murphy.

But he was getting so tired of Murphy's whining and he definitely wanted a change. Murphy wasn't gay like him but Murphy was so determined to get to be a Sergeant and command his own unit in record time that Murphy let him fuck him whenever he wanted.

Murphy would also suck him dry when they did not have time to do the other. Plouffe liked to see Murphy on his knees in front of him. But Murphy whined like a baby whenever he fucked him hard. Granted he liked it very rough so he could see that Murphy might whine, but it was still annoying.

God he wished he had something to use against Mason right now. Mason was so god damned large. Those huge hands could be put to such good use.

Plouffe wondered if Mason would be a good fuck. Given his overall size no doubt his cock would be rather large too. God he would like to find out what it was like to fuck and be fucked by him. The image that conjured had his cock growing.

Pushing those thoughts from his mind was difficult. But he couldn't afford those thoughts right now. He was under too much scrutiny lately. He could not afford to mess up.

Major Plouffe strode over and demanded "What is going on here?"

Blaze stepped forward "I have it under control Sir."

Plouffe looked down as a stench reached his nose. He was standing in vomit. He stepped away quickly and wiped his boot in the gravel. He looked up "Lieutenant Blain explain."

"We were training in hand to hand outside when dinner did not sit too well with some of the men" Blaze stated.

"And the fence?" Plouffe asked eyeing the Lieutenant closely.

Blaze answered immediately "Ah that. Well Mason and I were sparing. My fault really. I lost my footing when he tackled me and we fell into the fence. Patch is tending Mason's hands. They were around my back so took the brunt of the damage as we fell."

It sounded plausible to Plouffe but he got a feeling he was being lied to. He came to his full height which was still shorter than Blain and stated "See that your unit fixes the fence. If you are well enough to be doing hand to hand I do not understand why your team remains on the unfit for duty list."

Blaze looked at the fence then back to Plouffe "We will fix the fence. As to the other that is a matter between Dr. Parker and Colonel Sutton. I have wondered the same thing Sir. But my duty is to follow orders and not to question my superiors."

He knew his dig hit it's mark when Plouffe flinched. Blaze couldn't resist it. The man was a complete and utter idiot. How Plouffe ever made it to Major he could not fathom.

Plouffe's decisions and tactics were shoddy at best. Blaze and the other unit COs often had to adjust things in the field to achieve the desired outcomes. Nothing outright insubordinate but damned close sometimes.

"See that you do Lieutenant" Plouffe stated and turned on his heel. He had to leave, now.

Plouffe had come to demand to see Braddock but seeing Mason and his baser thoughts made his pants tight. It was time to find Murphy because he didn't feel like a hand job right now. Perhaps as Murphy went down on him he could imagine it was the bear. Plouffe smiled as he headed for Murphy's barracks. Murphy was a screw up but he certainly had his uses.

Blaze slumped against the wall and slid down once Plouffe was out of sight. His head fell to his chest. He let the tears fall. Tears for a young man that had endured more than anyone should ever have to endure. A young man, a kid really, that would rather die. Those bastards deserved to die the most painful death imaginable.

His shoulders shook and he didn't care the others saw him crying. He'd bet ten to one they were crying too if he bothered to look up. He didn't.

They all needed some time to regroup after that. Blaze pulled his knees close and laid his arms across them then settled his head on his arms. He cried harder now than when his parents died.

* * *

 _ **Inside Unit Barracks**_

Sam finished the water and set down the empty bottle. He looked Matt in the eye. "He broke me Mattie. One man. I will never forget his face or his evil laugh. He broke me. He got me to trust him. Every time I fell for it. I wanted someone to care for me. I was so alone."

Matt remained quiet and showed not an ounce of emotion.

Sam continued quietly in an almost disconnected voice "He always looked at me like he cared. Spoke in a soft soothing tone at first. He would remove the needles that were embedded too far to pull out with fingers. As the tweezers dug in deep and painful to pull them out he would say things, nice things to me. He would wipe the tears from my face."

"But then he would start heating the needles. He said it was to sterilize them. That he couldn't stop what was happening but he would take care of me. I wanted the pain to stop so badly. The pain, starvation, humiliation I wanted it to stop. I wanted someone, anyone to care. Every damned time he would bring me to the point that I truly thought he cared. His face was full of pity. I was so desperate for love and care that I latched on and believed."

"But then his look of pity would turn to a revolting sneer as the heated needles turned glowing red. Then he would start to giggle wickedly. He drove the burning hot needles slowly and deeply into my stomach. It was so excruciating that when I screamed no sound would come out. Then it made me vomit. There was nothing but bile to come up and it burned my throat."

"He did this so many times. I fell for it every god damned time. He broke me. I'm damaged. I can't be trusted to read people. He made me believe him" Sam choked out.

Sam shuddered and sobbed. Matt sat silent keeping his hands to himself. Inside he was screaming for the pain Sam was in. Inside he wanted to pull Sam to him and tell him it was going to be okay. That he wasn't broken. That he would heal. But he did none of that.

Based on what Sam just shared that would not be the right path. His mind spun in circles trying to figure out what to do.

Sam wiped his eyes and stared at Matt for a long time. Matt just stared back at him not saying a word. Sam said "Ever since I failed to save Sara I've known I was bad. If I wasn't a bad and worthless person someone would love me. Things like this wouldn't happen to me. I'm a bad person. I just need to die. The world would be better off without me."

Matt couldn't take it anymore he asked "Am I a bad person Sam?"

Sam's eyes registered shock "No. You are good and light Matt."

Not losing eye contact Matt asked without emotion "Then why did bad things happen to me? Why did my bastard father beat the crap out of me? Why did I have to watch my beloved mother strangled to death in front of me?"

He waited for Sam to answer. When none came Matt said "We were both nine when the person we loved the most was killed in front of us. Sara's death was no more your fault than my mother's was mine."

Sam yelled back "Sara's death was my fault. I was supposed to protect her. I was the big brother. It is my job to protect my sisters. The General said it was my fault and it is. I don't deserve to be loved. I failed her. I'm a fucking disappointment and worthless failure."

Matt could see that Sam was not ready to accept reality that he was not and never had been at fault. His damned father had done a number on him over the years driving home the fact Sam was at fault.

They sat in silence simply staring at each other. Matt was trying to read Sam's thoughts through his eyes. He could see Sam's soul was in tatters. Matt longed to offer Sam comfort. To reach out and stroke his hair or hold him close while he cried out his pain.

But he knew Sam was in a place right now where he could not accept comfort in any form. Sam would reject it outright. Matt knew he could do more damage if he tried to show he cared right now. But what was he going to do?

Sam stared at Matt. How could he get Matt to see he needed to die? How to get him to accept that the world would be better off without him. Sara would be alive if he had never been born.

Did Matt think he needed to be punished for being born too? How could he get Matt to help him die? Why wouldn't Matt just let him die? Why?

* * *

 _ **Outside Unit Barracks**_

Blaze wasn't sure how long he sat crying but it was long enough that the tears had run dry and all that was left was dry sobs. He glanced around at the others. All were similarly positioned as him. It was quiet. No one spoke. All were tense and in their own thoughts. All prepared to race in if Matt yelled for help.

He glanced at his watch and realized it had been several hours. Time had warped and he couldn't believe so much had passed. Blaze lay his head back down and continued to wait.

Blaze was contemplating if he should go back in when he felt someone sit next to him and an arm go round his shoulders. It was Winds, his best friend in the world. They had been through so much together. But never anything like this.

He turned his head to look at Winds. Blaze saw the dried tears streaks on Winds face too. But there was something else in his eyes. Hatred, vengeance and retribution burned in them.

Close to Blaze's ear Winds whispered "Blood oath we will get justice for Blondie. I don't know yet how or when but we will track down every piece of animal scum that harmed Blondie. Their life's blood will soak the dirt and they will all be sent directly to hell before I leave the field."

Winds pulled out his k-bar and sliced the palm of his left hand. Then Winds handed the knife to Blaze. Blaze sliced the palm of his left hand. They gripped hands tightly.

"Blood oath. They all die but even hell has standard these bastards do not meet. Justice for Blondie" Blaze stated.

"Justice for Blondie" Winds stated.

Winds pulled Blaze up to stand never releasing their hands. They met eye to eye; steel determination to steel determination. Neither would leave the field until every single bastard was dead and their rotting carcasses were food for vultures.

Blaze nodded and said "I need to go back in there."

All the men stood. Blaze saw the flat emotionless looks on each of them. They had all found a way to hold in their emotions. They had found a way to be there when Blondie needed them.

Blaze strode to the door followed by the others.

* * *

 _ **Inside Unit Barracks**_

Matt lost track of the time as they simply stared at each other but he knew hours must have passed because it was getting dark. He heard the door open. He saw the others walk in quietly with no emotion on their faces. They sat in a semi-circle around Sam.

Blaze sat next to Matt and laid a hand on his shoulder. Matt caught the small sigh before it could be heard. He was glad the others were here. He could not figure a path forward.

Sam broke his lock on Matt's eyes and scrutinized each of them. His eyes searching for pity.

When Sam found none he turned back to Matt and asked "Why can't I just die? Why won't you just let me die?"

They all heard Matt's sharp intake of breath. Matt looked to Blaze. He didn't have an answer that would work here. He was at a loss.

Blaze looked at Blondie. He reviewed what he knew of the kid. The kid never backed down from a challenge. Blaze said seriously "I challenge you to live."

Sam was not expecting that. His eyes narrowed in on Blaze. "Why can't I just die?"

Nodding Blaze said "Fair question. How about this? Those bastards hurt you. Those bastards tried to kill you. You didn't survive three months of living hell to just roll over and die now and let them win. If you die at your own hand the bastards win. Living is the best way to get back at them. It's the biggest FUCK YOU you could give them. You find a way to live. Find the beauty of life. They lose. You win."

"How do I do that? How do I get past the ever present reminder of what they did to me? They ruined my feet. I can't even walk. I can't live as a cripple and be reminded every damned day. It's too much, I just can't do that" Sam stated.

Patch couldn't hold back the grin "The hell you can't walk. What do you think you've been doing for the past week?"

Confusion flooded Sam's eyes "What?"

Matt said "You walk Sam. Every day. It is slow but every day you walk a little further. You have made significant progress since I found you passed out on the floor three weeks ago."

"Three weeks?" Sam breathed out stunned.

All the guys nodded. Mason said "I simply hold the gait belt now as a precaution to prevent you from falling. At first I had to hold all your weight. But you quickly progressed to standing on your own and then to taking steps."

Ripsaw said "You're coming along with upper body strength too."

Winds added "You've put on weight also. Jarmal had been making sure you get everything Matt asks for you. Even walnuts for your oatmeal."

Sam's eyes had tracked to each one as they spoke. He looked down at himself. His ribs didn't stick out quite as much as they had before. They were telling him the truth. He had lost three weeks but his unit, his chosen family of brothers, had cared for him.

He ran his hands through his hair. It was long but clean. He was clean. Someone had taken care of his most basic needs. Who?

Something clicked in his head and his eyes landed on Mason asking without speaking. Sam remembered something about my legs are your legs, my arms are your arms until you are strong enough. And you can count on me to take care of your needs without embarrassment.

Mason just gave a slight nod "My word is my bond."

"Thank you" Sam said quietly totally overwhelmed by what Mason had done for him.

Then Sam went back to what they had said. His eyes roamed over each man. He got a nod and a smile from all of them.

Sam stopped back on Matt and asked "I really walk?"

Matt smiled and nodded "Yeah Sammy you walk. You're gonna run too. We are gonna make sure you make it back to us. We are gonna work your ass off."

Out of nowhere Sam quipped "If I had an ass. Nothing left of it right now."

The guys stared at Sam then at each other to validate they just heard what they thought they heard. Sam had joked.

Blaze grinned and said "So about that challenge. Do you accept?"

Nodding Sam said "Symbolic Fuck you bastards. Yeah I accept. I will try to find the beauty of life. It won't be easy but I'll do it. I'll do it for all of you."

Blaze gave Blondie a hard look "You will do it for _YOU_. Do I make myself I clear?"

"Yeah but that is tougher" Sam answered honestly.

"Never known you to take the easy way Blondie" Winds said.

"I second that" Patch said and grinned.

Ripsaw raised his hand and said "I third that. Never known anyone more stubborn too. If you set your mind to this you will achieve it."

Mason added "We will be here to help. Lean on us when you need to. We will not let you fall."

They all nodded in agreement.

Sam bowed his head completely humbled by all they had done for him and their strength of conviction that he could do this. He looked up and simply said "Okay you have my word."

It was enough. It was a beginning. They all knew it would not be easy but Sam committed to the challenge. He gave them his word and they all knew he was a man of honor. His word meant something, it was never idly given. Sam would do all in his power and strive to honor his word.

Matt asked "Can I hug you Sam?"

Sam stared at Matt "Since when do you ever ask?"

Matt grinned and pulled Sam into a bear hug. Matt's eyes sparkled bright green. Sam was back. Maybe not completely yet but Matt had hope again. Matt was fully in the light and the darkness that threatened to overtake him faded into the recesses of his mind. He would be capable now of guiding Sam to find the beauty of life.

.

* * *

 _ **AN: Lots and lots of readers, very few reviews.**_ _I'm assuming readers are along for this sad and terrible journey that does have a happy ending and at times may be too shocked to comment. I would still like to hear from you. Am I doing justice to the immense turmoil and pain that all are going through given this horrible situation. The rescue is more than a physical rescue. Physical wounds are visible and heal much quicker than the invisible emotional wounds. Sam's emotional wounds are deep and layered._


	22. The Job, The Strike & The Promises

**The Job, The Strike & The Promises**

* * *

 _ **Four Weeks Later – Physical Therapy**_

"Come on. You got this. One more. Just one more" Stewart Adams encouraged thoroughly impressed with his patient.

Sweat drenched and exhausted Sam pushed one more time. His legs shook with the effort it took to push the leg press up. He got half way and started to falter.

Matt said "Almost there Sam. Keep going."

Sam glanced at Matt who smiled at him. Sam dug deep and found the effort needed to push to the top. He made it to the top but he came down in a less controlled manner than he wanted with the weights clanking noisily as his legs gave out. But Sam smiled. He had done it.

Matt clapped him on the back "Knew you could do it."

Stewart, Sam's physical therapist marked down a note on his clipboard and said "Good job Sam. My star patient just vaulted another hurdle. You met your weight goal ahead of schedule. I'm authorizing you to begin jogging like you have been pestering me to do for the last week. But keep it to a slow gentle pace and no more than two miles for now."

Ripsaw was seated on the bench near them and yelled "Hot damn!" Then he said seriously "We'll make sure Blondie follows your instructions and doesn't over do it."

Sam wiped his face with a towel and said "Thanks Stewie." He grabbed the water bottle Matt offered and relaxed his legs.

Stewart looked at his patient with a critical eye assessing his status but laughed "Anyone else tries to call me that I'll knock their lights out. But I guess I can allow my star patient a little leeway. Wait here a moment. I need to check on a few things and get some paperwork for you to take with you to Dr. Parker later."

Sam nodded happy for the break, he had pushed really hard today. He wanted to get authorization to begin jogging and did what was necessary to do so; even though it meant going right up to his limits and pushing past them. If he tried to stand at the moment Sam wasn't so sure his rubbery legs would hold him up. He simply relaxed where he sat and drank his water. Ripsaw started in on a story about the girl he went out with night, Jenna from the logistics department.

Stewart quickly walked to the small desk he had been assigned in the corner of the physical therapy area. It was a ruse he had developed when he noticed his patient had pushed to his limits and needed a break. Sam would never admit to needing a break so it was up to him to keep Braddock in check so he did not backslide.

He pulled out Braddock's file and began to update the records for Dr. Parker. Braddock was definitely his star patient. It didn't matter Sam was his only patient; Stewart had never worked with anyone like Sam before. Sam blew away all his preconceived notions he had on how much progress a man could make. His patient was single minded in his effort to recover.

Stewart had been flown here specifically to work with Braddock. He was paid a huge amount to drop everything and fly here for the sole purpose of getting one Sam Braddock walking and running and generally back in shape. He was told if he could manage that there would be another huge bonus.

He had taken the job initially for the money and the change of location. He had student loans to pay off and his car had died. Also his girlfriend had kicked him out of their shared apartment and he didn't make enough to afford one on his own.

Stewart could not impose on his good friend Lizzy Wilder anymore either. She had been kind enough to let him crash at her place. But Lizzy had a two year old boy to deal with and her husband was due back from deployment soon. Stewart doubted Lizzy's husband would like having him hanging around during their homecoming either.

So when his boss approached him with the opportunity he jumped at the chance. It solved his problems. His boss told him he had received a request from Dame Ridgewater asking him to go to Kandahar to work with a special patient. David was unable to go given his wife was due to give birth to quadruplets any day. So David offered the job to him.

Money had been the initial reason he accepted. But once he got here the challenge and uniqueness of the situation presented itself. The money aspect quickly faded into the background; it was nice but he found the challenge the most exhilarating part.

Stewart finally understood why Lizzy liked to work with soldiers. It had him reconsidering his area of practice once this job was over.

Upon his arrival, Stewart met with Dr. Parker and General Braddock. The General was one intense dude. He was filled in on his patient's medical condition and the cover up that was going on.

Dr. Parker gave him strict instructions. He was never allowed to speak of his patient's condition to anyone. Never to let on that his patient was catatonic.

The General stated firmly that since Stewart was not military he could not be compelled to divulge the information by any ranking officer and his notes could remain completely off the record. Stewart agreed not really knowing why it was a big deal. Patient confidentiality was paramount to him anyways so he had no qualms in keeping that quiet.

The doctor told him that he was to include and trust the men that would accompany his patient. Stewart was directed to defer to and consult with Master Corporal Shea on his patient's pain management needs. Dr. Parker was insistent on that point. He said that the guy named Patch would know what to do. Also he was to work directly with Master Corporal Hunter on his patient's recovery plan.

One key point that was stressed multiple times was that he was always to remain positive. Regardless of his personal thoughts of the patient's ability to recover he was to present himself in a positive manner and display an attitude that the patient would recover fully. Stewart wondered about that. From what he saw it would be damned near impossible to achieve what they wanted him to achieve.

He was then very firmly told by General Braddock that he was not to discuss any aspect of the patient's progress or prognosis with any person other than Dr. Parker or those five men. Not ever, not now and not in the future. It was to be a complete information black out.

With all weird cloak and dagger secrecy Stewart had wondered who his patient was at that point. But Stewart sat still and quiet as Dr. Parker continued to outline the care that was expected for his patient.

The injuries that he had to work with were staggering. When he asked how someone could sustain all those injuries he was told that the soldier had been held captive and tortured for three months.

When General Braddock handed him his first check he had stared at the name on it. The General told him that he was never to reveal to anyone, not even the patient, who actually hired him, what he was paid or to discuss how exactly he had come to be here. If asked his response was to be that it was at the request of Dame Ridgewater.

But the astronomically large check in his hand was from General Braddock. He had wondered why a General would pay for special care for a soldier. It became crystal clear when he met his patient, one Samuel Braddock, the General's only son.

The job he took on was enormous and fraught with challenges. Those first two weeks had been way beyond odd. How do you provide physical therapy to a catatonic patient? Stewart had to think outside the box and he never crawled back in it with Sam.

He had been impressed with the men that came with Sam. It was clear they would do anything to help. The fact that Sam did follow Matt's words those two weeks helped greatly. Patch was a godsend too.

When Sam had finally come out of that catatonic state, Stewart learned very quickly to rely on Patch and Matt. Sam went after his rehab with a vengeance he had never seen in another patient. That first week he had not paid close enough attention to the signals that Sam was pushing too fast and too hard.

It was only through the insights of the men around him did he start to be able to read his patient. Stewart was glad it was only a minor setback on the seventh day out of the catatonic state.

The others were called to a meeting by a Major Plouffe so Sam was left in his care alone. He allowed Sam to push harder that day. He went to get water for Sam after a grueling workout on the treadmill. Grueling for Sam that is since the treadmill was set to a slow two mile per hour. But that was faster than Stewart figured Sam could go at that time.

Stewart had been surprised when Sam had stayed with it for the full hour. Sam was drenched in sweat and exhausted when he sat in the chair next to the treadmill. He looked a bit out of it too. Somehow he missed that he let his patient go too far.

He told Sam he would be right back. He had to go get more water because Sam had downed the three bottles he had brought with him and he really looked like he needed something to drink.

When he came back in he was shocked to find Sam was on the treadmill again. He was only gone ten minutes having had to run to the mess hall to grab another water bottle.

By the look of Sam he had been on the treadmill the entire time. And god damned, Sam had set the speed to four miles per hour.

Sam collapsed just as he entered the room. Luckily Sam had done no real damage but he was in pain. Sam had pushed to far and overdone it. The guys showed up right then too.

They were pissed off that he left Sam alone. But no one would explain why. Patch quickly got Sam's pain under control and declared Sam needed two days rest as a result.

He had watched Matt as he talked to Sam that day. Matt had a way about him. In his own weird way Matt had essentially read Sam the riot act for being stupid and pushing too hard. But it stopped immediately when Sam spoke to Matt. The whole feeling in the room changed.

Sam had said something that made no sense to him. Still didn't. Sam had said "Beauty was dead. I couldn't shut him up I had to send him a fuck you."

Stewart was pretty sure it was not directed at him because he didn't talk all that much. But whoever it was directed at had the guys on edge and they left rather quickly afterwards.

Sam did not come to PT for two days. Ever since then Sam was accompanied by at least two of the men and never left alone during PT. Somehow he had screwed up but he did not have a clue how.

He had talked to Matt to try and understand what he did wrong. All Matt would say is that Sam had pushed too hard. That they needed to vigilant and make sure that didn't happen again.

After that Stewart had started to learn to read the signs with the help of Matt. Matt said the key was to look at Sam's eyes.

Sam's face was normally unreadable and his attitude was always brash, cocky and can do, even when he was dead tired and at his limit. But in his eyes you could see the truth. You could see when Sam hit the wall and needed a break.

Stewart looked up from his feigned paperwork to Matt. Matt nodded at him. A signal they worked out to let him know that Sam was rested enough to continue. He stood and walked slowly back to the men.

He heard Matt tease "So you ready to go for a jog right now Sam?"

His legs still felt like rubber but had recovered somewhat. Sam knew that Matt knew this but he answered boldly "Sure race you to the mess hall."

"Nah, you would win. Too much incentive for you, Jarmal said he was making you cookies today" Matt laughed.

Matt knew if it had to do with food Sam would win. Sam had had a ravenous appetite for the past four weeks. It was justified. Sam burned off almost more calories than he consumed. But they made sure he ate more than he burned. Sam was looking more like his old self now that he had regained most of his weight.

Ripsaw stood and said "It's gonna have to wait anyways. Blondie here has an appointment with Dr. Parker. I'm sure you would like to cut PT short today so you can shower before heading over." Ripsaw winked and smiled as he said "Nurse Claire is on duty today Blondie."

Sam shook his head "She's pretty I'll grant you that Ripsaw. But there's no way she would want to go out with me."

Matt looked at him "Are you crazy Sam? My god, don't you see how she drools over you every time she sees you? If you ask she would say yes in a heartbeat."

Lightly rubbing his chest Sam thought no she wouldn't. He was damaged goods. No woman would ever want to be with him. Not only was his head screwed up his clothes hid horrible scars.

Sam not a vain man but he was glad his face, arms and legs were spared the whip and did not have thin scars all over them. But his back and chest were covered in them. The needle marks all over his body had faded, except for the marks made by the burning needles on his abdomen. Those were fading but they would never completely disappear.

He could count himself lucky that none of his teeth had been knocked out or broken. And the plastic surgeon had done an exceptional job on his nose. Sam could not tell a difference in it from before it had been smashed.

Sam shook his head "Nah I think I'll focus on the rest of PT. Nurse Claire can wait. Stewie what's next?"

Stewart said "How about we hit the stationary bike?"

Nodding Sam stood. His legs wobbled a bit and Matt was at his side in an instant with a stabilizing hand. Sam looked at Matt. He was always there for him. Matt never let him fall. "Thanks Mattie."

"Anytime Sammie" Matt answered. Then he added "How about some tunes. I downloaded a new song just for you."

Sam rolled his eyes as he walked to the stationary bike "What are you going to torture me with now Matt?"

Matt pulled out his MP3 and plugged it into the external speakers. He knew Sam was struggling with self-image. The scars were terrible. He always was covered. Always wore a t-shirt now. He used to work out without one or relax in the barracks without one. But now he was always covered.

As Sam started to pedal Matt said cheerily "You're gonna love this one. Just one thing though. You have to replace Mickey with Sammie when you listen to this one."

Matt turned on the MP3 player and turned up the speakers as Mickey by Toni Basil blared in the room. Matt wore a huge smile and made a complete and utter fool of himself as he pretended to hold a microphone and sang directly to Sam replacing Mickey with Sammie as he sang:

 _Oh Sammie, what a pity, you don't understand  
You take me by the heart when you take me by the hand  
Oh Sammie, you're so pretty, can't you understand?  
It's guys like you, Sammie  
Oh what you do Sammie, do Sammie  
Don't break my heart, Sammie_

 _Oh Sammie, you're so fine  
You're so fine, you blow my mind, hey Sammie, hey Sammie  
Oh Sammie, you're so fine  
You're so fine, you blow my mind, hey Sammie, hey Sammie_

Sam, Ripsaw and Stewart were laughing so hard when Matt finished and took an exaggerated bow.

Matt just grinned as his green eyes sparkled with life "You like?"

Sam was still laughing as he responded "Matt you are just plain crazy and you listen to the weirdest shit. But yeah, I like."

It had been a hard four weeks Sam thought. But Matt was always there for him. Hell all the guys were. But Matt was special. Matt could get him to laugh. He was beginning to feel more normal.

The darkness and nightmares still came. The dark voices that whispered he was worthless, unloved and should die still haunted him. But he was beginning to be able to tune them out. Matt's music went a long way in helping him to do that.

Matt turned on the song again and as Sam listened to it as he slowly pedaled and he did as Matt asked and replaced Mickey with Sammie.

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Office - Kandahar**_

"I'm not happy about doing this but I see the necessity Tom" General Braddock stated.

Colonel Sutton leaned back "I know. It should only be a few days. We cannot wait and need to strike will the iron is hot. You know Blain and his unit would want in on this."

William nodded "Yes they would. But I cannot send all of them. Hold back Hunter and Preston. Send Blain, Simons, Shea and Srònaich' O' Naoimhín along with Washington's unit."

"I cannot believe the lucky break we had" Tom said.

The General shook his head "Not luck. Contacts and information sharing. I knew good would come out of that liaison with Australia. Lieutenant Moss developed a solid rapport with Lieutenant Roman. The fact that there were similarities in the terrorist cell's methods is what clued them both into the fact we were dealing with the same cell."

Usually he could maintain his composure but it slipped a little as Sutton's voice showed his anger "I'm just sorry that their man Corporal Langsdale did not make it. That cell has to be stopped. They are beyond brutal and do not do it for intel. They simply torture the soldiers for fun. Sick. Just sick."

General Braddock's features became hard and his voice was icy "Langsdale was mutilated so badly and Moss said they had Langsdale for two weeks. I'm sure it was revenge for what the Blain's unit did to the cell when they rescued Samuel. But I will never put that in a report or share it with anyone other than you Tom."

Sutton nodded "Understood. None of the men need to know that. Especially not Sam."

William's eyes flickered with long standing hurt. That was the truth if he ever heard it. His son took everything to heart and blamed himself. He wished to god he could fix it, change it. He wished he could go back to the day Sara died and stop it. Protect his children.

He could protect the country from terrorists but he could not protect his son and daughter from a damned drunk driver. Their lives had shattered that day. It affected all of them but none more powerfully than Samuel. His shortcomings as a father became so clear that day.

William had felt he was doing the right thing in how he was raising Samuel. Yvonne had tried to tell him he was wrong. Hell his brothers had tried to tell him he was wrong too. As did his good friend Norm Holleran. But he did not listen to them. God how he wished he had.

Now when Samuel needed him most he could only be there through subterfuge. He had to cloak what he did as the actions of others so Samuel would accept the help. He knew without a doubt that if Samuel knew the help came from him he would stubbornly refuse the help.

But he didn't blame Samuel. Not at all. William just wished he could change it. Change their relationship.

Sutton saw his friend heading down the regret path. His eyes took on a faded look when he thought about his relationship with Sam. He said "Send Blaze and the others. Get the bastards that did that to Sam. That will help some. Get justice for your son. For Langsdale too."

William looked at Tom "It will help some but not enough. Inform Blain, Washington and Major Plouffe of the mission. Get them headed out in the next two hours. We cannot allow time for the cell to move. I want them to strike that cell and wipe it off the face of the earth by tomorrow at the latest. Make sure they have whatever they need to make that happen."

Sutton stood "Roger." Then he headed out.

William stood up. It was time to visit Jasper for an update on Samuel. The things he had heard over the last four weeks had been good. Samuel was making amazing progress physically.

He just hoped that Blain and the others made it back in one piece. William did not want to think too much about what would happen to Samuel if he lost his unit right now. He knew that Samuel was hanging by a thread emotionally and it was his unit that was making the difference.

* * *

 _ **Two Hours Later – Unit Barracks**_

Sam watched as Blaze, Winds, Mason and Patch packed their gear. He knew there would be a time that they would have to go on a mission. He was surprised they had not had to go before now. But he didn't understand why Matt and Ripsaw were not going.

Matt and Ripsaw were at the mess hall getting his dinner. He hated eating in the mess hall. Too many people stared at him still. He felt on display and it unnerved him. Too many people came up to him with pitying looks and asked how he was doing.

Every time that happened the One's face would cloud his vision and he had to fight the urge to put his hands around the person's throat and choke the life out of them.

It was safer for everyone if he ate here.

Sam asked "Blaze why are Matt and Ripsaw not going with you?"

Blaze stopped and looked at Blondie. It was amazing the changes that had occurred in the last four weeks. The kid looked so much better.

But they all knew that was just window dressing. Inside the kid was still so screwed up. Rightfully so after what he had been through.

"Sutton said Yankee's unit needed some additional help on this mission. That's all" Blaze said convincingly. He would never tell Blondie that they were going after the cell that held him.

Blaze glanced at Winds who had been heads down and quiet since they learned of the mission. He could see the cold calculated shroud that cloaked Winds. He was a deadly force when that happened. Winds was all soldier as he prepared to make good on the blood oath they made to each other.

Sam said in a small voice he didn't quite recognize "You're coming back right?"

He looked away quickly. Sam couldn't believe he just let that thought out. It sounded like a small fearful child's plea when being left at home when a parent was leaving. God he had no idea why that slipped out. Sam was embarrassed by showing that level of weakness.

Mason and Patch glanced at Blaze. They had heard the comment. Winds was too focused to hear it. Blaze nodded to Patch and Mason that he would take care of it and to pretend they did not hear.

They all saw Blondie's vulnerability lately. It came out in odd ways and odd times. Blondie was always embarrassed by it.

Most times Matt was the one to deal with it as the others gave Blondie space. But Matt wasn't here right now and Matt was not the one going on the mission.

Blaze walked over and squatted down so he was eye level with Blondie. He waited for Blondie to turn to him.

When their eyes met Blaze said "Blondie, you know the risks we all take. I cannot promise we won't die. I can't. It would be wrong of me to make a promise I have no control over. But kid, I promise you this. I promise to do all in my power to come back and bring the others back safely too."

Sam nodded.

Blaze knew to quickly change the subject too. He patted Blondie's shoulder then tapped his cheek lightly as he stood up "I hear you met your weight goal today and Stew signed off for you to jog."

"Yeah" Sam answered. He didn't like the unit going out without him to cover their backs. He asked "Who is Yankee's sniper?"

Sam had heard Yankee took over Gleason's unit and had made some changes in personnel. Travis was gone. He transferred out of Special Forces when his contract was up. Yankee got a new guy but he didn't know who or how the unit had been restructured.

Blaze answered flatly "Murphy."

Sam cringed. Murphy was only adequate as a sniper. Damn. Sam said "Give Murphy a message for me."

"What would that be Blondie?" Blaze asked.

Sam said seriously "Tell Murphy that he better watch your backs. Tell him that if any of you get hurt because he slacks off then he will have to answer to me."

Mason quipped "Ah Blondie, words to win new friends by."

Sam glared at him "I'm serious. He screws up; I promise he answers to me. I'm done putting up with his shit."

Blaze looked at Blondie. He could see the anger and concern. They had told Blondie that Murphy was the one that took his wheelchair when he has asked about it a few weeks ago. They also shared how they doled out unit justice and then how Yankee had taken over the unit and whipped Murphy's and Travis's butts for two solid weeks.

He gave Blondie a quick nod and said "I'll tell him. And so you know Murphy's been towing the line lately with Yankee in charge. Yankee has had him on the range every single free minute. Says he is shaping up and improving. The new guy Dave Haverlik is working out too."

Sam pulled out Beauty. He had named the MP3 player Beauty after making the promise to try and find the beauty of life. The music helped him deal with his emotions and he needed to listen to some calming music right now.

It sucked that Murphy was the one that would be covering his brothers but he had no control over that. Murphy was an idiot and a pain in his ass since training. Some days Sam wondered why the hell he had bothered to save the idiot when he fell off that cliff. Things might be so different now if he hadn't bothered.

Just before Sam put in his earbuds Blaze, Winds, Mason and Patch each came over and said a quick farewell. He waved bye and watched the door close.

Sam was alone for the first time in weeks. He looked around the barracks as the dark voices started to whisper to him.

He could do it. It would be simple to do it. So many ways he could end it all now. Quick, clean and easy. No one was here to stop him.

Putting in the earbuds Sam laid down on his bunk and turned up the music.

No he couldn't do it. He had given his word. He had promised to try and find the beauty of life.

Sam let the music surround him and drown out the dark voices.


	23. On Point, Honoring the Lost & You Failed

**On Point, Honoring the Lost & You Failed **

* * *

_**Next Day – Near Terrorist Stronghold**_

Yankee and Blaze called halt to the units and knelt down to confer after their external recon was completed. Most the unit fanned out to provide cover for them. Winds stayed close to them keeping watch.

Blaze said quietly "Forces are light outside with only a few targets on guard. I want to take point on this one Yankee."

Yankee shook his head "We discussed this."

"No you discussed it. I did not agree. This is personal. This is for Blondie. These bastards die" Blaze ground out in a low voice.

Winds knelt down "Yankee, we know what to do. We need to do this. We need to be on point. You have no fucking idea what they did to Blondie."

Yankee looked at both with a hard glare "I have a good idea after seeing the report on Langsdale."

Winds snorted "What they did to Langsdale is terrible but it is child's play in comparison to what they did to Blondie. I've seen and heard a lot in my years Yankee but I've never puked. I puked and could not listen to everything when Blondie told us what really happened to him, what these bastards did to him."

Yankee assessed both men. He saw the fury in their eyes. This was a kill mission. No one was to be left alive. He nodded once "Okay you are on point."

* * *

 _ **Unit Barracks**_

Sam was finishing eating lunch as Matt sat on the floor fiddling with the laptop and Ripsaw was sitting on his bunk cleaning his gun.

Matt stopped and looked up at Sam and quipped "You do know I almost had me a Corvette."

Cocking his head to the side Sam wondered just what the hell Matt was talking about. His segue into conversations were sometimes a bit odd. "Come again?"

"I could have had a Corvette" Matt stated again. "I think I would have gotten a red one. No wait, yellow. No red. Definitely red" Matt responded.

Sam shook his head "Dare I ask how you planned on getting this Corvette?"

Matt deadpanned "Your life insurance."

Sam burst out laughing. When he calmed a bit he said "Jesus Christ Matt."

Matt shrugged "Always wanted a vette."

Sam yelled over to Ripsaw "Hey Ripsaw, bring me your gun. Matt wants a vette."

Ripsaw snorted "Not happening Blondie. Not happening. Matt's just gonna have to get along with having you instead of a vette."

Those two sure had a strong connection Ripsaw thought. Matt had the damnedest ways to get Blondie to laugh and smile. But this one was so far off into left field it was out of the ballpark completely. Ripsaw could only shake his head as he cleaned his gun.

Sam looked back at Matt "Sorry bro."

Matt asked "So what would you do with my life insurance?"

Thinking a bit Sam grinned "I'd go to Monaco and blow it on gambling, booze and hot chicks."

"Aw come on Sam you can think of something better. If I got a vette I would have named it Sammy. I would get hot chicks all the time" Matt said.

Sam popped in the last mouthful of his sandwich and chewed slowly. What would he do with Matt's life insurance? They had made each other their beneficiaries just after boot camp. Neither really having anyone to leave the money too.

"Don't know. Never really gave it any thought Matt. I always thought we would live to a ripe old age. Two old farts sitting in the old folks home racing wheelchairs" Sam finally answered.

Shaking his head Matt said "With all the shit we've been through you still think we are gonna make it to old men."

Sam sighed "Yeah, well I kinda hope we do. I don't want to think of what my life would be like without you in it Matt."

Matt closed the picture of the Corvette. His attempt to get Sam to laugh had worked but it had backfired on himself. Sam's words just now made him want to cry. He knew what his life would be like without Sam. He had come to close to living it.

Sam rolled over on his bed to stare up at the ceiling as he said "You know, if that ever happened I think I'd rather do something good with the money Matt. Do something that would honor your life and continue to make a difference."

Matt drew his knees in close and thought about that. "I'd like that Sam. You know I'd probably do the same thing."

"No. I would not want that" Sam said seriously.

"Why?" Matt asked.

Rolling to his side Sam said "I'd rather you do something to honor my little sister."

"Sara?" Matt queried.

"Yeah we have the same birthdate. Everything I am about is to try and make up for my failure. I failed to save her. I still see her shoes on the ground and her lifeless green eyes staring up at me. She should be here not me. I'm the one that should have died that day" Sam responded.

Matt closed his eyes. Sam still hurt so badly over his little sister's death. "Sam, please don't say that. You were only nine. You were not the drunk driver that jumped the curb. You were just a little boy waiting to cross the street with your little sister. Like I've told you before Sam, you are no more at fault for Sara's death as I am for my beloved mother's."

"Besides where would I be without you? I would have washed out of boot camp without you. Because of you I made it to Special Forces. I know you miss Sara. From what you've told me about her I doubt she would want you to feel that way."

Sam glanced at Matt "You know her birthday is coming up. She would have been twenty two this year. She's been dead more than twice the number of years she lived. I still miss her so much. You gonna help me get through it this year?"

"I'm not sure your body is up to handling massive amounts of alcohol Sam" Matt answered honestly.

Sitting up and then moving to the floor near Matt Sam said "Just get Patch to sedate me then. I can't take the pain. It hurts too much. That was our special day, our connection and she is not here and it is my fault."

Matt nodded "I can do that. But you know the guys are gonna want to celebrate your birthday. Ever since they found out what it is they want to celebrate it. You feigning sick last year got you out of it. I guess this year we could just say your feet are hurting and I could ask Patch to sedate you."

Sam nodded "Yeah that might work or we could just say it is the nightmares. You know Matt I've been meaning to ask you. Why didn't you tell Blaze my birthdate after the building blew and he was filling out the paperwork?"

Matt responded "I gave you my word that I would never tell anyone."

"But you lied to Blaze and the rest of the guys. You made them hack into my file to find out" Sam stated.

Looking directly at Sam, Matt stated clearly "But I kept my word to you. That is more important to me. You come first Sam. You always will."

Ripsaw hadn't meant to overhear their conversation but it was difficult not to when he was only a few feet away. They hadn't whispered or anything either. Perhaps they forgot he was there.

What he heard was so sad. Ripsaw hadn't been with the unit back then. This was news to him. Ripsaw began to understand the connection between Matt and Blondie. Both had horrible fathers and both had shared a significant loss at the same age.

Something like that would bond two people. He glanced at them and a small smile spread on his face. Ripsaw was glad they had forged a friendship. He understood some of their pain. He didn't talk much about his past either. It wasn't a big secret but he preferred not to talk about it.

Sam looked at Matt "You come first with me too."

Ripsaw dropped his clip and it clattered onto the ground.

Matt and Sam whipped their heads toward Ripsaw. Both had been so absorbed in their conversation they forgot Ripsaw was in the barracks with them. There was no way in hell Ripsaw had not overheard them.

Sam breathed out "Oh crap."

Picking up his clip and setting it on his bunk Ripsaw said "Your secrets are safe with me. I get it. I understand not wanting to share things from your past."

Matt asked "How do you understand?"

Ripsaw rose from his bunk and walked over to them then sat on the floor next to Matt "My past isn't so pretty either."

Sam looked at Ripsaw. He never asked anyone about their past because he knew he never wanted them asking about his in return. But now he was curious. Did Ripsaw really understand or was he just giving lip service after hearing a bit about Sara.

Ripsaw held Blondie's gaze and he saw the questioning in his eyes. He sighed and said "I don't talk about it often. In some ways it still hurts to think about it. But to show you that you can trust me not to say anything I'll share with you."

"You don't have to" Sam said.

"I know I don't have too. But I will. Matt shared with the unit about his mom and I now know you had a little sister. I'm an orphan" Ripsaw stated.

Matt looked at him quizzically "Really? You've talked about your parents before. I didn't get the impression they were dead."

Ripsaw glanced away a moment then back as Matt "In my heart they are not dead. I choose to recall the happy times. When they were both still alive and we were a happy family."

Sam's head dipped. He wished he could do that. But it was just too painful to remember when his parents loved him. It just made him feel worse for all he lost because he failed Sara.

Ripsaw said "I was fifteen when they died. My dad got cancer. We lived in a small rural town and the care he needed was not available in our town. We moved to the city so my dad could be seen by the right doctors."

His eyes glazed over and a happy smile covered his face "God I loved that small town. Everyone always looked after everyone."

Ripsaw chuckled "I could never get away with anything there. It was like having parents everywhere. But it was a good place to grow up. There was a sense of family and of belonging. It was a good feeling knowing so many people cared. The whole town chipped in to help my parents cover the cost of moving to the city so dad could get the treatment he needed."

His eyes cleared as he looked at Matt "After surgery and six months of treatment dad got the all clear. I was so happy. We were going home. I couldn't wait to see my friends again. The city was so impersonal and I hadn't really made any friends. I was small for my age and mostly got picked on. So I tended to stay off by myself."

Ripsaw's gaze shifted to Blondie "We were on our way to celebrate dad's successful outcome. We were in a crosswalk when a car ran a red light. My mom pushed me so hard that I was knocked clear of the speeding car. But I broke my leg in the fall."

His voice broke as he choked up "Mom and Dad were not so lucky. The car hit them and they flew into the air. I still see their lifeless, broken bodies lying in the street. I crawled to Mom and held her hand until the EMTs pried me away."

"I didn't have any extended family except for an older aunt by marriage who wanted nothing to do with a teenage boy. Uncle Ralph had married a woman twenty years older than him. He had died the year before when he slipped on ice and hit his head. So they put me in the foster system."

Ripsaw switched his eyes to Matt "You know what that is like; case workers that are overworked or burnt out. Sometimes you get a new fresh one but it doesn't take long for them to become jaded. No one really cares for you."

"I guess I was luckier than most. I stayed with the same family for three years. The Hoon's took care of my needs but it just wasn't the same. I was still in the city and I didn't belong. I got beat up at school a lot."

He grinned "Well at least until Mr. Hoon, my foster father, found out what was happening. The next day he enrolled me in martial arts classes at his dojo. It is from him that I learned how to fight and defend myself."

Sam looked at Ripsaw stunned that he had seen his parents killed in front of him. He knew what it was like to see the lifeless body of someone you loved so deeply. He wasn't sure what to say.

Finally as the silence stretched out Sam said "I'm sorry you lost your parents."

Matt nodded in agreement. Jesus H. Christ. All three of them had terrible pasts. Matt added "Thank you for sharing that. Your parents would be proud of the man you are today Richard."

Ripsaw laughed "God I haven't heard someone call me by my first name in years. In my head Richard is my father. I'm actually a junior. I was named after my father Richard Isha Preston Sr."

"Wow that is some name" Sam said. "I never knew your middle name. Your initials are RIP, that's just weird."

Ripsaw laughed "Well, yeah."

Matt laughed "Okay so I always thought that you were named Ripsaw for your awesome fighting skills like how you can just rip into the targets and make mincemeat of them. But I'm now guessing that isn't how you got your name is it."

"No not quite but it is part of it" Ripsaw admitted.

Sam demanded "Okay now I gotta know. How'd you get your call sign?"

Ripsaw looked between them "It's short for RIP saw and destroyed. That was too long. Blaze isn't the best at creating call signs. Blaze first gave me the call sign RIP when he noticed my initials. But Ripsaw came from my first mission when we were both under the command of Yankee. We had taken out our targets and were on our way back. Blaze, Winds and Mutt were injured. We had lost Digger."

"Yankee, Trader and I were taking turns on watch duty that night. I saw a group of five insurgents that were heading towards our camp near dawn. They were heavily armed. They stopped a short distance from us but never saw us. Blaze was awake. Yankee and the others were asleep."

"I motioned to Blaze and we started to crawl to their encampment to take them out. We decided would could not risk gun fire because it could draw more insurgents to our location and daybreak was imminent. Blaze and Mutt were in no shape to run with leg wounds so we decided I would go in stealth and try and take them all out after they fell asleep."

Ripsaw cracked his knuckles and continued "We waited for over an hour before they all nodded off except the one they left to watch. I went in and dispatched the guard quietly. But one of them woke up and alerted the others. It was quickly four against one. I knew Blaze was there and would fire if absolutely necessary but he would let me try to deal with it quietly first."

He said in a matter of fact voice "All four went down so very fast. I don't think they quite knew what hit them. When we got back to the unit everyone was just waking. Blaze started to tell them all what happened. He began his recounting of the events saying 'RIP saw the insurgents and destroyed them without a sound."

Ripsaw shrugged and said "Yankee shortened it to Ripsaw and my call sign was born."

Sam and Matt both grinned and Sam said "Sure the hell beats Blondie."

Ripsaw laughed then said "You know I have my old aunt as my beneficiary. But I couldn't help overhearing what you guys were talking about. She never did anything for me as a kid. It would be nice to do something good with my life insurance."

Becoming serious Ripsaw shared "You know sometimes I think that my parents would still be alive today if our town had a doctor that could have provided the treatment. If we didn't have to go to the city then we wouldn't have been in that crosswalk. But doctors don't make the big bucks in small towns so it is hard to get them to practice there."

Matt nodded "I have an idea. Not sure if you two are interested but we all lost people we care about. Sam lost Sara. I lost my beloved mother. Ripsaw you lost your parents. What if we created a scholarship of some sort that our life insurance policies could be directed to if we leave here in a metal box. We could honor the ones we lost with a scholarship."

"I like that idea" Ripsaw answered quickly.

Sam nodded "A scholarship that could help someone trying to change their life and do something that matters" Sam added.

Matt got excited seeing that guys were on board with his idea "What if it was a university scholarship for foster kids and orphans. For kids that don't have loving parents or families to help them achieve their dreams."

Ripsaw nodded "That's good. If someone wants to be a doctor we could put in the stipulation that they have to do their residency in a rural town. Maybe we could add that they have to stay there for five years too. Who knows, they might like the sense of family that comes with living in a small town and end up staying."

"I know someone that would help us set it up. She knows lawyers that would help us with the paperwork required" Sam said.

Matt grinned "You mean Bella?"

Sam smiled "Yeah Bella. She's like a Mom to me. I'm sure she would help us."

"Could we create one scholarship that has multiple awards? Like maybe three" Ripsaw asked.

"Why three?" Matt queried.

A grin played on Ripsaw's face "I was just thinking. Sam said he wanted to honor his sister Sara. Matt you always refer to your mom as your beloved mother. It is clear you loved her a lot. My mom saved my life that day by pushing me out of the way. She gave her life to save mine. I'd like to honor her too. I'd love to see my mom live on through a Charlotte Anne Preston award."

Sam whispered "The Sara Yvonne Braddock award." His eyes misted and got a faraway look. Sara's life would mean something. In his dying he could finally do a small thing to see his sister's name live on.

Matt said "Louise Grace Hunter award. I like the sound of that. It would feel good to know that someone got to better their life in her name."

Ripsaw listened to both and saw the smiles. Then he recalled something Matt had shared with them. He probably shouldn't ask but he did anyway "Matt you said your name was not always Matthew Benjamin Hunter. You just said your mom's name is Hunter. Did you change your last name?"

Sam looked to Matt and stiffened. That was not a subject Matt liked to discuss. He said quickly "Doesn't matter Ripsaw."

Matt shook his head "It's okay Sam. He shared with us." He looked at Ripsaw and said "I'll tell you but you have to promise never to tell a soul."

"I promise" Ripsaw replied as he put his hand to his heart.

A shade fell over Matt's face as he related "I was born a junior too. Damien Isaac Chardin Jr. I could not stand to be named after my murdering father. I didn't want to be a junior DIC. I didn't want to be associated to my father in any way."

The shade somewhat lifted as Matt shared "I decided on Matthew because it means gift from god. My beloved mother always said I was a gift from god when we were alone and she could show me she cared. I chose Benjamin just because I liked it. I picked Hunter because it was my beloved mother's maiden name."

Ripsaw nodded. God that must be painful for Matt. As much as he loved being a junior and honoring his dad he could see that Matt would definitely want to distance himself from his father's name.

Sam could see Matt was starting to slip into dark thoughts and quipped "So your father was a real DIC. Gotta love that his initials described what he was."

Matt and Ripsaw both laughed.

Then Sam said "So you guys want me to contact Bella and see if she can help us set this up?"

Matt said "We need to name the scholarship. Naming it the Charlotte Anne Preston Sara Yvonne Braddock Louise Grace Hunter Scholarship is just unwieldy."

Sam suggested we could call it the "Preston, Braddock, Hunter Scholarship."

The guys shook their heads and Ripsaw offered "What about the CAPSYBLGH Scholarship."

Sam laughed "That's just as bad."

They all sat thinking for a while. Sam said "You know naming things is definitely not our unit's strong point."

Ripsaw and Matt both nodded. Then Matt said "What if we each say the first word that comes to mind when we think about the ones we lost."

"I like it" Ripsaw said and then added "Home. When I think of my mom I think of home. Everyone needs to find a home, a place where they belong. That is tough for foster kids."

Sam smiled as his hand held onto his MP3 player. His word had a double meaning "Beauty. Sara had the most beautiful green eyes and her soul was innocent and beautiful."

His second reason is that he now referred to the MP3 player as Beauty. He called it that because it was helping him find the beauty of life again. A scholarship might just be able to help a kid find the beauty of life too Sam thought.

Matt's word popped in instantly "Music. For me it is all about music. My beloved mother gave me the gift of music. Music was my salvation. I would and could have chosen a dark path without the love of music my beloved mother shared with me."

Ripsaw put the three words together "Home, Beauty and Music Scholarship. HBM Scholarship. That's good."

"It fits. A scholarship where kids can go after their dreams" Matt said.

Lost in thought regarding the scholarship, images of Matt, Roid and Corne in boot camp came to Sam's mind. Sam had put a lot of time and effort into helping all three. Matt and Corne really put effort into what he shared. They wanted to improve and worked hard.

Roid was a different matter altogether. He had wasted his time with Roid. Sam had lost hours of sleep trying to help someone that didn't want to put any effort into helping himself.

Sam remarked "I don't think it should be a scholarship for a particular area of study. But I think whoever is applying for it needs to show merit. Show that they deserve the help and are willing to put the effort into whatever dream they are going after. I'd hate to see resources wasted on someone that has no drive when it could be given to someone that really deserves it."

"I agree. It should be merit based" Matt said.

Ripsaw added "I'd like to see an element of it be that the person is willing to give back to the community. Maybe one of the criteria is that they have done a certain amount of community service."

Matt nodded "I like that. When I aged out of foster care I ended up on the street. Sometimes it would be days in between meals. There was this soup kitchen that I would go too when I got really hungry and could not earn enough with odd jobs to eat. I didn't go there to just eat though. I thought that was wrong."

"I would offer to help out first. They were always in need of extra hands to help. The woman that ran the Mayfield Soup kitchen was always so nice to me. I agree we should have community service as part of the criteria" Matt concluded.

The guys spent the next hour discussing all the criteria they wanted for the scholarship. Then Sam wrote Bella an email asking for her help to set it up.

It was one more small step in his recovery Sam thought.

Creating a scholarship helped to silence the dark voices that still whispered to him that he was worthless. Sam thought that a worthless person would not try to help others. Sure it would have to wait until he died. But his and Sara's lives would not be worthless if they helped others.

* * *

 _ **Remote Special Forces Base**_

Plouffe paced in his tent. He hoped that his message had gotten through in time. He had very little opportunity to communicate with his contact. He couldn't take the chance of any of them being taken alive and talking.

He stopped pacing has he heard Humvees enter the compound. Major Plouffe strode out of his tent unwilling to wait for Washington and Blain to come to him.

Blaze got out of the Humvee and slammed the door. He was in a foul mood. The last person he wanted to deal with right now was Major Plouffe but he knew his duty. He would give his report then he would go find someplace to vent.

He saw Winds, Mason and Patch heading to the makeshift heavy bags. Good. Otherwise there was sure to be a brawl as they looked for outlets too. If Winds came within speaking distance of the Major he would be busted down to Private for sure.

Winds had unleashed a category five on the way back when Murphy made a stupid comment. It almost came to blows between the two of them. Yankee and he had to step in and break them up.

Yankee looked at Blaze. He hoped to hell he would let him do the talking. Blaze and his unit was beyond pissed and he could fully understand why.

He saw the Major just outside the tent and walked forward along with Blaze. Yankee stopped and saluted as did Blaze.

Plouffe ordered "Report." By the look of the men he was unsure from where the anger stemmed but it was clear they were angry. He braced himself in case it was directed at him.

Yankee reported "We arrived at the stronghold. We did an exterior recon and made our plans. The exterior recon showed light forces, five targets. The units went in fast and silent."

Blaze interrupted "There was no one there. The bastards we were after were not there. It looked like they shipped out in a hurry. Somehow they must have gotten wind that we were coming."

Plouffe grinned inwardly but externally he got a hard look on his face and yelled "You failed. You failed to get those bastards."

Yankee took exception to the Major and said firmly back "Sir they were not there. We did not fail. They were not where they were reported to be."

"Why didn't you track them?" Plouffe demanded.

Blaze reined in his anger as he ground out "And just how do you expect us to do that when those roads are so heavily traveled and they could have gone in any one of six directions."

Yankee said "We may have a bigger problem. We may have a leak. How did they know we were coming? They should have been there."

Major Plouffe realized he better back off a bit and redirect before suspicion could fall to him.

So Plouffe smoothly answered "Perhaps they were not there to begin with. Perhaps the intel was wrong. It's happened before. Perhaps they had planned to move all along and we were just too late. Damn. Sutton and the General will not be happy with this news. Anything else to report?"

Yankee replied "No Sir."

Plouffe nodded "In that case you both are dismissed. Oh and Blain your unit will head back to the main base tomorrow morning and report directly to Dr. Parker per Colonel Sutton's orders." In his mind he muttered I don't understand why your unit is still on the unfit for duty list. Don't look unfit to me.

Both Blaze and Yankee turned and walked towards Winds, Mason and Patch. Yankee asked "Why are you still reporting to Dr. Parker."

Blaze trusted Yankee and confided "Between you and me, Matt said the doctor likes Blondie. Dr. Parker thinks it is best if we are near Blondie to help him in his recovery. I have no clue how the doctor is swinging it. But I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. You should have seen Blondie when we left, the kid was a mess. He's making progress but he still needs us close."

Yankee nodded "I'm glad to hear Sam has people in his corner. I won't say a thing. It's sad that there are attitudes and biases that people hold against Sam for no reason other than he is the General's son. It is beyond me. I thought I had changed Murphy's mind but clearly I haven't given what he said."

Then Yankee chuckled "Hell if I could have, I would have let your unit pound the shit out of Murphy for his comment. I'll have to settle for giving him every shit duty I can think of for the next few weeks. But I need to be careful. Murphy appears to have a deep seeded hatred for Sam and if I'm not careful it could come back to bite Sam."

Blaze stopped mid-stride "You think I have to worry about Murphy going after Blondie?"

"Not on my watch you don't" Yankee declared confidently.

Blaze nodded. Yankee was a man of his word. He would not allow Murphy to do anything to Blondie while he was in charge. Not much got passed Yankee either, he ran a tight ship and his unit towed the line. Blondie was safe from anything Murphy might think to do to him while Yankee was his CO.

Slapping Blaze's back then pushing him toward the heavy bag Yankee said "Go. Blow off steam. Then relax and get something to eat. I promise you we will eventually get those bastards."

Nodding Blaze headed for the heavy bag. He saw each of his unit going full bore on the makeshift heavy bags and he was glad there was one more available.

He was so pissed that they failed to get justice for Blondie today. He had wanted to kill those bastards so badly. He would, he damned sure would kill them before he left the field.

Blaze didn't bother to wrap his hands as he walked up to the makeshift heavy bag and then started laying into it with everything he had. He hit it so hard the seams started ripping. By the time Blaze was done there was nothing left in the bag.

The bag hung limply in the same condition as its three companion bags. Seams ripped open and all the cottony insides laying on the ground below them.


	24. Ungodly Pain, You Stink, Mix It Up,

**Ungodly Pain, You Stink, Mix It Up, Absolutely Kiddo & Relief**

* * *

 _ **One Week Later – Unit Barracks**_

Sam woke in hell. He was in ungodly pain. Every heart beat brought a throb of pain to his head. He hurt so badly his mind told him he was there but his sense of smell contradicted it.

He cracked his eyes open to see his surroundings. Sam slammed them shut as serrated daggers pierced his eyes. The pain was unbearable.

Sam called out "Mattie help."

His own voice sent shockwaves of pain through him and he felt like vomiting. It sounded so loud he thought he shouted it. In actuality it was little more than a whisper.

Sam curled into a ball gripping his head tightly trying to stop the pain. He whimpered in pain.

Winds was on Blondie watch duty as the others were out at the range getting in some practice. Blondie was sleeping late today. He had slept late every day the last week. He was putting so much effort into his rehab it completely wiped him out. Dr. Parker had told them to let Blondie wake on his own schedule every day and adjust physical therapy around him.

He came out of the bathroom and glanced at Blondie. Winds saw him curled in a ball and heard his whimpering. He raced to Blondie.

"Blondie, Blondie what's wrong?" Winds nearly shouted as he skidded to a halt on his knees in front of Blondie.

Massive shockwaves reverberated in Sam's head as Winds talked to him. It hit him so hard he could not stop from vomiting.

Winds was taken by surprise when Blondie hurled. He was covered in Blondie's vomit. "Shit. God Blondie." He turned Blondie to his side and over the side of the bed as he continued to heave.

Sam was shaking so much when he finished retching. Winds was shouting at him to tell him what was wrong. Sam finally voiced "Stop. No sound. Hurts. Help me."

Winds shut his mouth instantly. God he should have recognized the signs. His mother suffered from debilitating migraines. It all fit.

He hated to talk knowing that it would cause Blondie pain but he needed to say a few words "Hold on. I'll get Patch." He squeezed Blondie's left arm a moment like Patch always did to comfort Blondie.

Winds stood and then raced out of the barracks to get Patch.

* * *

 _ **Gun Range**_

Matt was a little rusty. He had chosen to stay with Sam every day instead of training. Blaze finally forced him to go to the range this morning. It probably was a good thing. He could not afford to get sloppy; the unit depended on each other to be in prime condition.

Blaze watched Matt. He hated to order him to the range. But seeing Matt's groupings he knew he was right to do so.

Mason leaned in close to Blaze and asked quietly "How off do you think Blondie will be when we get him back to the range?"

Patch snorted "Blondie could group his shots tightly with his eyes closed. I have no worries about that. Running, now that is quite another thing."

Ripsaw sidled up to them and said "I cannot believe the progress Blondie had made but I'm worried about hand to hand. He is skittish. Do you see how he flinches and withdraws at sudden movements?"

Blaze nodded "He's progressing better than we could have predicted but yeah I see that and the kid has a long road ahead of him."

Matt called back in an irritated tone "I heard everything you guys said. Sam is going to make it back. You just watch him."

Blaze came up behind Matt. His voice sincere "We do not doubt that. They are just voicing their concerns Matt. We all need to understand where Blondie's weak spots are so we can focus on helping Blondie in those areas."

Matt turned around "I know but you guys can never speak like that in front of Sam."

Mason put a large hand on Matt's shoulder and said "That's why we talk about it out here. We understand."

Winds yelled as he sighted the unit "Patch. Patch! Blondie needs you. Now!"

As one the unit turned as Winds panicked voice reached them.

Winds skidded to a halt. He was breathless as he relayed "Migraine. Pain. Help. Now."

Patch, Matt and Mason were running for the barracks before Winds finished.

As Winds gulped for air, having run full out, Blaze turned a critical eye on Winds. He was covered in vomit. Blondie was definitely not feeling well. Damn.

Ripsaw got a whiff of Winds and said "Jesus you stink. You need to learn to move out of the way quicker."

Winds turned and without a word embraced Ripsaw tightly. He released Ripsaw and stepped back with a huge grin as Ripsaw sputtered and complained as vomit transferred to his shirt.

Blaze just chuckled "Ripsaw you gotta learn when to keep your mouth shut." Turning to Winds he asked "How bad is it?"

Winds said "Bad. I didn't recognize the signs at first. Christ I was talking so loud. It must have sent shards of pain through his head. Migraines can be so incapacitating. My mom suffered for years until she got the right medication."

Picking up Matt's weapon Blaze said "How is your mom?"

"Doing great. She sold the big house and got a nice small place. She says it is all she needs" Winds answered.

Ripsaw finished gathering the rest of the gear "Shall we go? I need a shower thanks to Winds."

Winds chuckled and relieved Ripsaw of half the gear he was carrying "You know I like to share."

Ripsaw just grumbled as the three headed back to the barracks.

* * *

 _ **Home of Marbella Ridgewater**_

Yvonne walked around the sitting room as Bella poured tea. She loved seeing all the pictures of Sam as a teen. He looked so happy in all the photos when he lived with Bella.

Her heart broke a little as her finger brushed over the long locks of his hair in one photo. She wished Sam's whole life could be full of happiness. Her boy had suffered so much in his short life.

Bella watched Yvonne. She was glad she was here for Sam but so wished that Sam could see that everything that made him happy back then was the result of his own mother. Yvonne loved her son so much. She would do anything for him. It pained her to see Yvonne hurting.

She finished pouring the tea and said softly "Come join me Yvonne."

Yvonne put down the picture of Sam with Wilson, Buzz and Dutch. Those men had done so much to help Sam. Yvonne turned and headed for the chair.

As she sat Yvonne remarked "He looks so happy in those photos. Thank you for being here for Sammy when he needed you."

Bella's face formed into a gentle smile "I'm glad I was. You should be so proud of the man he is."

"I am" Yvonne answered and took a sip of tea. Then looking at Bella she said "Will and I spoke about the scholarship Sam asked you to help set up."

Bella responded "As I thought you two might. What are you two thinking?"

Yvonne smiled "It is a beautiful idea that Sam, Matt and Richard came up with. It's just makes me sad to think that one of them has to die before it gets funded. I shared that thought with Will and he had a wonderful idea."

"You know that my father set up trust funds for each of the kids when they were born. We never quite knew what to do with Sara's. The last time we talked about it we thought that we might just split it out between Sam and Nat or allow it to be split out among any children Sam and Nat had in the future."

Bella grinned "You have a different idea now don't you."

Nodding Yvonne shared "Yes we do. It is so fitting. I don't know why Will and I never thought of something like this. But this is so fitting. We want to fund the scholarship now with Sara's trust fund. That way they can begin giving awards without one of them dying."

"I love the idea. I was thinking of donating to it too for the very same reason. You are correct it is a wonderful idea. I love the name they chose Home, Beauty and Music" Bella returned.

Taking small sip of tea Yvonne swallowed and then said "About that. I have one small request."

Bella looked at Yvonne. She knew that look. The woman had an idea prompted by something she had learned. "What is your request?"

Yvonne stated "I want your lawyer to mix up the name on accident. I want you to make it the Music, Beauty and Home Scholarship. MBH instead of HBM."

"Why?" Bella asked.

A warm glow radiated from Yvonne as she answered "I … we, owe a great debt to Matt for helping Sam. I realized as I was looking at the name that MBH are Matt's initials. You said Sam said that the scholarship was Matt's idea. It's a small thing but I think it honors Matt for coming up with the idea."

Yvonne added "I met him when Sam came home after Special Forces graduation. I liked that young man a lot. He is kind, generous and honorable. I could see why Sam would choose someone like him to be a friend. They are alike in many ways."

"Matt was so kind to think of me and take that video call so I could see Sam for myself. Sam was so tried he slept through the whole thing. Matt has continued to provide me with sporadic email updates on Sam's progress too. He said that he shouldn't be doing it but he felt I had a right to know how Sam was really doing. That man has a sense of humor too" Yvonne said then chuckled.

Taking a sip of her tea she smiled "In one email Matt said that Sam was begging for coffee. You know how Braddock men are with their addiction to coffee. Well the doctors said Sam couldn't have any yet because it would interrupt his sleep. Matt said Sam was getting very irritated by not being allowed to have coffee."

"Matt confided to me that he got Sam a special mug from the PX. Matt fills it with 'special water'. He says Sam's sleep isn't affected by having a mug or two of special water and it makes him happier."

Bella tilted her head to the side and queried "Special water?"

Yvonne chuckled "Iced coffee. Matt was so funny when he wrote that it is technically water, it has just been flavored a bit with roasted ground beans. Matt said none of the guys have caught on and it makes Sam happier."

Bella lightly laughed "Oh boy. I wonder what the doctor would say if he ever found out."

Yvonne shrugged "Dear Jasper would roll with it. He would look at it objectively and weigh the good versus bad. I dare say if he did know about it he might lift the coffee ban. But I won't be telling him because I don't want to forfeit the confidence Matt shared with me."

"Matt has also shared with me things about Sam that Will has left out. I know Will does not tell me because he thinks he is protecting me. In a way he is but knowing Sam's true condition lets me prepare and possibly help" Yvonne said in a wistful tone.

Shaking herself away from sad thoughts of Sam's true condition Yvonne said "So, the name change. Can you get the lawyers to mix it up?"

Bella put down her china tea cup and nodded "Yes I can get them to do that. If Sam notices I'll talk him into accepting the change. Tell him it was a mistake and it would take a lot of effort to change back."

"The funding, Will and I want it to be anonymous too. Sam might balk at it being Sara's trust fund. I know full well what he thinks of his trust fund. Maybe one day he will accept his. But for now he wants nothing to do with it" Yvonne stated.

Thinking a moment Bella said "I'll tell Sam that I spoke to some of my friends, you and Will are definitely my friends, so I won't be lying. I'll say some wanted to donate but only if they can do it anonymously. I'll make Sammy see that they can begin giving awards in Sara's and the other names now and that should please him."

"Good. Just have your lawyer contact Kingsley Randolph when you are ready. Kingsley can handle all the arrangements with Sara's trust fund" Yvonne said.

Wilson came into the room and announced "Lunch is ready ladies."

* * *

 _ **Unit Barracks**_

Sam woke and heard soft voices. The pain was gone. He blinked open his eyes. It was dark in the barracks. He rubbed his sleep encrusted eyes and glanced at the window.

The window was covered in a blanket blocking out the light. That is if there was any light to shine in. Sam looked at his watch. It was 1910 hours.

Sam rolled to his side and saw Matt sitting on the floor near him reading a book.

Matt looked up "Welcome back Sleeping Beauty. Feeling better?"

Sam answered "Yeah. What happened? There was so much pain I couldn't think."

Patch sat down on Blondie's bunk and answered quietly "Migraine. I'm surprised you haven't had one before now with all the trauma your head has endured. What's the pain level?"

Sam answered "Zero for the head. Feet just ache a bit level one-ish."

"Feel like eating?" Blaze asked.

"Yeah. I'm starving. How long was I out this time?" Sam asked wondering just how much time he lost.

Winds pulled over a chair and straddled it backwards "Just today. Patch got the migraine meds onboard quickly. Sorry I didn't recognize the signs and caused you more pain by yelling."

Sam looked at Winds and recollection hit "Oh crap, I threw up all over you. Man I'm sorry."

Winds chuckled "Ripsaw says I need to learn to move faster. Don't worry about it; nothing a shower couldn't fix. Not the first time I've been puked on. It happened several times when my mom was experiencing a migraine."

Sam then noticed he was free of vomit. He looked to Mason who just inclined his head once. Sam said "Thanks guys. You all go out of your way to help me. I appreciate that."

Winds stared at him "Little brother that's what we do for each other. We are a unit but more than that we are brothers. We cover each other's six. No thanks are ever necessary."

Swinging his legs over the bunk and sitting up Sam asked "You guys up for a walk to the mess hall?"

Sam thought it was about time he began confronting things and getting his life back on track. Hiding in the barracks was not going to help him deal with the dark voices. He needed to begin to behave more normally if he was going to make it back to the unit. Back to his chosen family.

The guys were all surprised. Blondie never wanted to eat in the mess hall. This was a good sign of progress.

Matt grinned and stood. He went to Sam's locker and pulled out a t-shirt, sweats and his tennis shoes "Yep."

The guys squared away the barracks as Blondie got dressed.

As they walked to the mess hall Sam asked "After dinner can we go to the gun range I want to put in some night scope practice."

Blaze patted Blondie's back "Absolutely kiddo. Absolutely." Blaze was happy. It was the first time Blondie had asked to go to the range. He was waiting to let Blondie request it. Hope soared that Blondie would make it back to them.

* * *

 ** _Gun Range_**

General Braddock saw Samuel and his unit mates come out of the mess hall and walk toward to the gun range. He followed at a distance so he could not be seen. It did his heart good to see his son improving.

The reports from Jasper indicated Samuel was progressing well in physical therapy. Seeing him come out of the mess hall meant that he must be doing better emotionally. Samuel must be ready to begin reengaging in the world.

The General saw Sutton and waved him over.

Sutton saw the General and walked over when beckoned "Good evening General."

"That it is" William said and pointed out Samuel and his unit. "I just saw Samuel come out of the mess hall. They are heading to the range."

Tom Sutton smiled "That is good to see. It is a relief."

General Braddock nodded "Shall we wander over and watch a bit?"

Sutton gave a curt nod "Sounds like a plan." Matching the General's stride Sutton then asked "How much longer do you plan on keeping Blaze's unit offline?"

William shrugged "I'm not sure. I want to give Samuel enough time to recover but I know we need them in the field. I'll think on it tonight. I need to begin backing away again. People are starting to question my motives. I can't allow there to be perceived favoritism. It will not do Samuel or myself or any of the other men any good if that gets embedded in the men's psyche."

Sutton took up a place with William behind a wall that allowed them to view the range without being seen by the unit. He agreed "Yes that is true. What if we begin sending Blaze's unit on short missions? Then they can be here intermittently as Sam continues to recover."

General Braddock nodded absentmindedly as he grinned and watched Sam settle in and line up his shot. William stood there for two hours watching. Sutton left after fifteen minutes but William could not tear himself away.

Samuel had not lost his touch. It was good to hear the joking between the men as all of them put in some night shooting practice.

For the first time William felt confident that his son was going to be okay. That his son would make it back.

It was such a relief.


	25. Small Steps & Dom Needs Help

**Small Steps & Dom Needs Help**

* * *

 _ **Five Weeks Later – International Forces Bar**_

"Blondie needs to get laid" Winds stated as he finished his third beer in as many hours.

Mason chuckled "Winds what makes you say that?"

"Come on the kid hasn't got any since, since, god I can't remember but it's been at least …" Winds tried counting the months on his fingers. He was trying to figure out how long it had been. Winds gave up his calculation and just stated "Hell it's been more than seven months since he was taken."

Ripsaw put down his beer "Christ I didn't realize that much time had passed."

Blaze swiveled his head to see Blondie and Matt at the bar getting the next round. They were here to celebrate Blondie coming back to the team. Dr. Parker was due to release him tomorrow, to sign off that Blondie was ready for active duty.

Physically it had been a grueling task for Blondie. Mentally Blondie was still up and down. But luckily it had been more up than down in the past five weeks. Although the nightmares still plagued Blondie they were not as intense and the kid could usually go back to sleep after he woke with them.

Blaze thought about what Winds said. In some ways he was right. Blondie needed to get back to real normal. And that included the occasional romp in the hay so to speak.

He took a swig of his beer, only his first for the night, since he had been in a planning session and got here only thirty minutes ago. Blondie seemed a little off to him tonight. Blaze wondered if Blondie might be having trouble in that area.

They all saw how self-conscious he was of his scars. The kid never had trouble before with women. But those scars and three months of captivity had messed with the kid's head.

Blaze said "I agree. Blondie needs to get laid. There are many options here tonight. New women from the latest rotation."

Patch grinned "I agree too. So what's Blondie's type?"

The guys all started discussing Blondie's type and pointing out potentials. They were laughing and having a good time as they decided who Blondie should approach. They all agreed Blondie needed a little push to get past his nervousness. Blondie needed to find out that he was still the same man he was before regardless of the scars that littered his body.

Sam leaned on the bar while he and Matt waited for the beers. It was busy tonight as a new crop of personnel had just rotated in for the support positions. The bartender was so busy they had to wait a long time.

Matt looked at Sam and asked "What's wrong?"

"Nothing" Sam said as he stared at the wall behind the bar.

Matt nudged him "Come on. I can tell something is wrong. Cough it up bro."

Sam turned and faced out to the bar and looked around him. His eyes landed on several women. He saw one brunette that was really cute. But then he sighed and turned back around to stare at the back of the bar.

"Sam?" Matt asked as he moved closer. It was loud and boisterous in the bar. He wanted to be able to hear Sam.

Glancing once at Matt and then back to the bottles on the wall Sam quietly said "I don't …" then Sam stopped. He couldn't tell Matt this. It was too personal.

"You don't what?" Matt asked as he gripped Sam's face and turned it to him. Matt saw the telltale signs of embarrassment.

Ah Christ Matt thought. He wondered when this would come up. It made sense tonight. They were in a bar and Sam was not behaving like he normally did.

Normally he was all smiles and the girls flocked to him. Sam was no celibate monk and enjoyed the company of women. Matt began to calculate how long it had been. It had been a long, long time.

Sam's somber mood right now told Matt a great deal. Sam never went without his shirt. His self-image was suffering. Matt would lay odds that Sam was concerned what would happen once a woman saw his scars.

Pulling his face out of Matt's grasp Sam said "Leave it."

Matt responded "You know the right one will never see the scars. They won't matter one bit to the right woman."

Sam glanced at Matt. He should have known Matt would know what he was thinking; at least part of it. The other part Matt would not guess. But it was what bothered him most.

All those damned needles. Sam closed his eyes as the memory of him screaming as they jabbed them into his cock entered his head. He didn't realize his breathing had become fast and labored until Matt's arm went around his shoulder.

Matt put his arm around Sam and whispered soothingly "You are not there. Come on open your eyes. You are in a bar. It's a night to celebrate. Come back Sam. Let's find the beauty of life one small step at a time."

Sam's breathing evened out as he opened his eyes.

Matt said "Good. That's good. Small steps. Tonight just smile and see what happens. There is no rush. Waiting for the right one is not so bad."

Sam looked at Matt. Matt liked women and had his fair share of dates but Sam didn't think Matt ever went all the way. Not that he would ever really know because like him, Matt was not a kiss and tell kind of guy.

But Matt had told him once when they were really drunk that he was waiting for the right woman. Sam had drunkenly joked with him asking him how he would know if he didn't find out if they meshed in bed. Matt had said there were more important things than that. Matt needed to find someone he wanted to grow old with before he shared something so intimate.

Sam wasn't so pure like Matt. He liked sex, a lot. He wasn't prolific but he had slept with a fair number of women. But now he wasn't so sure things down there would work like they used too. He was worried that things down there had been damaged.

He was too embarrassed to ask Dr. Parker about it though. Sam had tried once but the nurse walked in and he just couldn't ask. And the unit showers were not private enough to test things out on his own. So he had no idea if he was damaged goods.

Sam mulled over Matt's words. Just smile and see what happens Matt advised. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly then nodded and forced a small smile "Small steps?"

Matt grinned and patted Sam's shoulder "Small steps."

The bartender set the drinks in front of them and Sam paid. This round was on him as a thank you to the guys for all their support. Sam grabbed four beers and Matt grabbed the other three and they headed back to the table.

As they approached Sam slowed down hearing their conversation. He glanced at Matt with a 'help me' look.

Matt grinned and gave Sam a 'I got this' look. But then Matt turned to the guys and winked. It was funny they were all thinking the same damned thing tonight. He was gonna push Sam a little tonight for his own good.

Setting down the beers Matt handed one to Winds and Blaze then sat down.

Sam approached slower and then handed beers to Mason, Ripsaw and Patch. He took a long swig of his beer as he wondered just how the hell to get out of what was surely coming his way. The unit when banded together in a task could be relentless.

He saw the looks on all their faces. Sam steeled himself as best he could hiding his insecurities. At least Matt would be there to back him up.

Winds said "Okay Blondie we have three women scoped out for you; a blonde, a brunette and a redhead. You just tell us what your preference is."

Matt laughed "All three. Right, Sammy?"

Sam glared at Matt as he sat down "I thought you were going to help me."

"I am. I'm gonna help you get laid" Matt chuckled and eyed Sam. His look said 'you need to do this'.

Winds said "Been too long. Time to get back in the saddle."

"Guys, I don't need any help with this" Sam groused. He was glaring at Matt. Damn him. Thrown to the wolves.

"You sure about that Blondie?" Mason asked. Then he said "I picked out the redhead. She's just over there" as he pointed out a cute redhead.

Ripsaw piped in "That blonde over there has legs that won't quit. I think you should go talk to her."

Patch patted Sam on the thigh and when he removed his hand Sam looked down. Christ! His hand quickly went to his thigh and covered the three condoms Patch had placed on his thigh.

"You can never be too careful Blondie" Patch said with a smirk.

Blaze looked at Blondie and said "I think the brunette is more your type. She's cute and she likes guns."

Sam narrowed his eyes at his unit buddies "I don't need your help."

Matt smiled at Sam and asked "Blaze how do you know she likes guns?"

Blaze sipped his beer "She's an MP. I met her earlier today. Her name is Julie. She seemed nice. You ought to just go talk to her kiddo."

Sam looked at everyone. They would hound him all night if he did not go talk to her at least. Sam said "If I go talk to her you assholes will leave me alone the rest of the night?"

They all nodded and grinned as Matt encouraged softly "Small steps Sam. Just go talk to her. What's the worst that could happen just talking."

Winds nodded "Go wow her with your megawatt smile."

Sam slipped the condoms into his pocket and stood up. Damn them Sam thought as he approached the brunette at a table with three other women. But Matt was right. Small steps and what harm could there be in just talking to her.

He stopped and forced his smile as he felt nervous for the first time ever talking to a woman. Sam looked at the brunette "Hi I'm Sam."

Julie turned towards a sexy voice. Her breath caught in her lungs as she took in a ruggedly handsome man. His blue eyes were gorgeous and his blonde hair was a little longer than standard issue cut. It was in a messy style that begged to have her fingers card through it.

She finally managed "Hi I'm Julie."

Sam stood there awkwardly not sure what to say. He looked at the other women and said "Hi I'm Sam."

The women giggled and the redhead said "You said that already. I'm Sherry."

Sam dipped his head and ran his hand through his hair. He looked up a bit sheepishly and responded "Yeah I guess I did. Sorry been in the field a long time."

Julie perked up "In the field? What do you do?"

"Special Forces sniper" Sam answered.

Sherry said "Have a seat Sam."

Sam sat between the Julie and the redhead.

The redhead laid a hand on his upper arm "Sniper that's cool."

Julie gave Sherry a quelling look and turned to Sam "So Sam you been here long?"

"Long enough" Sam answered. He glanced back at the guys. He saw them all raise their beers to him.

The redhead smirked "So your buddies dared you to come over here. How quaint."

Sam blushed a bit as he felt he was going down in flames "Yeah well. I should be going. Nice meeting you."

He was just getting up when Julie stood and whispered in his ear "Sorry Sherry can be rude. Why don't we go someplace quieter and talk. This place is too noisy to get to know someone. You seem nice. I'm flattered you came over to say hi regardless of why you did it."

Sam looked at Julie and thought small steps. He could do talking. Talking with a girl would be a nice change of pace from his unit. Sam nodded "Where do you have in mind?"

"My room. My roommate just rotated out so I've got the place to myself for a week or two" Julie offered.

"Gotta just tell the guys" Sam said.

Julie looked confused "Why?"

Sam shrugged "Procedure. We never know when we will get called out for a mission. Where's your room?"

Julie told him and then watched as Sam went to the table to tell his buddies. She grinned when a couple of them slapped his back and he blushed. She found that endearing.

God he was handsome. Julie was looking forward to getting Sam alone. He was built too. Those biceps were stunning. Julie would bet good money he had rock hard abs and a defined six pack. Special Forces guys were always so toned.

This one had the looks too. God he was a hunk. If she were lucky she just might get lucky tonight. She would love to run her hands over his defined chest.

Sherry leaned close to Julie "Don't ride him too hard tonight Julie."

"Shut up Sherry. You're just jealous he came over to say hi to me" Julie stated.

The redhead shrugged "He's pretty and all but I prefer the big guy. He has this whole highland warrior appeal. Even has the facial scars that makes him look even more fierce. So you go sweet talk your pretty boy while I see about a man."

The blonde at the table just laughed "You two and your penchant for Special Forces. You know those guys die a lot. Me I'd rather have a guy in a nice safe position."

Sam walked back and said "Shall we go?"

Julie smiled "This way."

The guys watched Blondie walk out of the bar with the brunette.

Winds turned to Blaze "How'd you know he'd go for the brunette?"

Blaze took another sip and just smiled. "It's a gift" Blaze finally said.

The redhead sauntered up to the table and engaged Mason in conversation. Soon Mason was headed out of the bar too. Ripsaw excused himself and headed over to talk to the blonde.

Matt nursed his beer and smiled. Sam was taking the necessary steps to get back to who he was fully. He was glad to see that.

Winds put down his beer and said "Now we have to find Matt here a woman."

Matt laughed "Not just any one with do. She's gotta be the right one."

Daphne Blain came up to the table and hugged her brother. "Hey Donald" she teased.

"Daphy what have I told you about calling me Donald?" Blaze said sternly.

Daphne sat down next to Matt and parroted "That you don't like it that your name is Blaze. Tough. I'll call you Donald if I want too."

Matt, Winds and Patch laughed. Blaze glowered at Daphne.

Winds said "Let's not start world war three here tonight you two. I want to sit here and enjoy my beer and the beautiful eye candy."

Daphne turned to Matt "What about you Matt?"

Matt shrugged "Just enjoying my beer." Silently he added to himself and now enjoying your company. God she has the most stunning eyes and that long jet black hair is beautiful.

"Where's Sam?" Daphne asked looking around the bar. Matt was never without Sam.

Patch winked "He went to talk with Julie in her room."

Daphne grinned "Talk. Sammy Talk. I bet Julie will enjoy that conversation a lot."

Blaze glared at her "And what would you know of Blondie and talking."

Laying her hand on her brother's shoulder Daphne laughed "Easy big brother. Going all father on me there. Sam's just a friend."

The five shifted into general conversation just enjoying a relaxing evening.

Daphne took great interest in talking with Matt. He was a nice guy. She loved his green eyes too.

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Study – Kandahar**_

William relaxed in his chair as he slowly sipped his bourbon. He had heard from Jasper that he was putting Samuel back on the active duty roster tomorrow morning. His son amazed him.

He turned to Tom and said "It's good to know he is back and doing so well. I watched him run the other day. The look on his face was one of pure joy. God that boy can run like the wind."

Tom lifted his glass and said "Here's to Sam. His dedication and drive is something to behold."

"I'll toast to that" William said as he raised his glass.

William took a sip and his secure phone rang. He looked at the number and a frown crossed his face. That was a number reserved for emergency situations. He answered "Braddock."

 _[Relief washed through him as he paced hearing his friend's strong confident voice. His own voice unnaturally nervous Dominque Savoy uttered "My friend I desperately need your help."]_

General Braddock put his glass down. The voice of his old friend was beyond anything he heard ever heard. Dom was never frazzled. He was the epitome of smooth in any situation.

"What is it I can do to help?" William answered without using names.

 _[Dom paced in his little room "Is it safe to speak?"]_

William looked to Tom and quickly wrote down 'Dom needs help' then said "Yes round robin and so you know I have a trusted friend with me."

 _["Entendido. Mi amigo mis preciosas hijas . Los llevaron . Dios no sé lo que va a hacer estoy?"  
(Understood. My friend my precious daughters. They took them. God I don't know what I'm gonna do?) Dom said in Spanish.]_

"Wer hat sie?"  
(Who took them?) William asked in German.

 _["Ricorda Sandsnake?"  
(Remember Sandsnake?) Dom answered Italian.]_

The General stiffened. Operation Sandsnake had been at least twenty five years ago. It was a joint black ops between Canadian Special Forces and British SAS. They struck and took out a group of Russians that had acquired the means to make dirty bombs.

Unfortunately some of the targets were spared because the British Commander of the mission felt they could provide valuable intel. William had a sinking feeling now. Two of those men had been brothers of the leader. Dom had killed the leader in front of the brothers.

"Da. Vy govorite, brat'ya vzyali ikh?"  
(Yes. Are you saying the brothers took them?) William asked in Russian.

 _["Etiam. Nescio quomodo invenit. Voveris redde me scio, sed non viderunt faciem meam."  
(Yes. How they found me I do not know. I know they vowed to make me pay but they never saw my face" Dom said in Latin.]_

"Więc jesteś kontaktowania się ze mną , bo nie czujesz można zaufać SAS . To nie jest przeciek , który ujawnił swoją tożsamość."  
(So you are contacting me because you do not feel you can trust others. That there is a leak that revealed your identity) the General deduced in Polish.

 _[A small laugh emitted from Dom "I could always count on you reading into a situation."]_

"Comment puis-je aider? Quoi que vous devez vous savez que je serai là."  
(How can I help? Whatever you need you know I will be there) Will said with firm commitment in French.

Switching between languages Dominque laid out what he had found out. That the two brothers Markov and Krymov Yurievich had escaped from prison. He received a ransom demand telling him that his two daughters were abducted on their way home from school.

The demand was for five million dollars. It was a sum Dom knew that Markov and Krymov knew he would never be able to come up with. The abduction was a ruse to get Dom to go to them. When he did, Dominque knew that they would kill his daughters in front of him for payback before they killed him.

Over the next hour the two of them hashed out a basic plan based on information Dom was able to uncover.

During this time Sutton sat quietly listening and only picking up bits and pieces of the conversation. Damn, William had a gift for languages. The sheer number his spoke was amazing.

 _[When they were done Dom asked "Do you have anyone that would fit that profile?"]_

General Braddock took a deep breath. Only one of his men would work in the plan he formed with Dom. He would not send him alone. He would have back up but there were elements where he would be on his own.

He released his breath as he answered "Yes. One. I think you know who."

 _[Dom shook his head "No. No I could not ask that of you my friend. No."]_

William answered "He is the only one. He fits the profile you described and he is fluent in Russian."

 _["Non je ne peux pas. Mes filles sont en péril et je ne vais pas vous demander de mettre votre fils en péril pour sauver mes filles. Vous devez avoir quelqu'un d'autre."  
(No. I cannot. My daughters are in peril and I will not ask you to put your son in peril to save my girls. You must have someone else) Dom said reverting to rapid fire French.]_

"Dom he is good. I trust him to save your girls. It is what he is trained to do" William stated.

 _[Dom bowed his head. He had no other option. His girls would be killed. This was not something he asked lightly. Dom asked "When will they leave?"]_

"Wheels up in four hours. They will be there in seven hours my friend. We will get your girls back safe and sound" William stated with conviction.

 _["Merci mon ami."  
(Thank you my friend) Dom stated and hung up the phone. _

_Dom had a lot of work to do to prepare for their arrival. He could only hope that Sam Braddock was more chameleon than his father. The success of this and the lives of his daughters depended on Sam's ability to impersonate Ivkin Maxim (Maks) Gennadiyevich.]_

William looked at Tom "This is black ops. I'll notify Dr. Parker to kept Samuel on the inactive list. Notify Lieutenant Blain his unit is on leave for the next two weeks and have them all report to the tarmac in four hours. His unit is taking a small vacation."

Tom chuckled and asked "Where might they be going?" Tom had understood from the point that William wrote Dom needs help it would be black ops.

"A little R&R at a beach in Makhachkala" General Braddock stated. He stood and said "Let Blain know that they will get their travel itinerary inflight."

Sutton stood "Yes Sir." Then he headed out of the General's study.


	26. Insecurities Validated, Fancy Meeting

**Insecurities Validated, Fancy Meeting You Here, Rules and Regs Are a Bitch & The General Is Fucking with Blondie Again **

* * *

_**Julie's Room on Base**_

Talking on the walk over to Julie's room was intermittent. Sam still felt awkward and completely out of practice. His insecurities were interrupting his normal smooth talking. It was hard to shove them to the back of his mind.

Sam had to keep reminding himself it was just talking. Like Matt said small steps. He did not need to rush this. He could do talking.

"Have a seat Sam, you want a cold one?" Julie asked as they entered her small room and she motioned to the couch.

Sam looked around the room as he answered "Sure."

It was like a dorm room. It had a small couch, two desks, two beds and two small dressers. There was a small little fridge tucked between the two beds. Julie was opening the fridge and pulling out two beers.

Sam sat on the couch and waited. He'd been in this building before and he knew the bathroom was shared by an adjoining room. Sam always wondered how well four women could share a bathroom.

When he had been to the General's home in Ottawa after Special Forces graduation, he recalled Natalie and Vicky bickering about having to share a bathroom. And that bathroom had dual sinks. This bathroom had one small sink. Sam guessed that it was the difference between civilian and military women. Women in the military learned to be efficient and not need all day in the bathroom to get ready.

Julie sat down and handed Sam a beer then opened hers. They sat quietly drinking for several minutes.

When the silence got too much Julie asked "So you are a Special Forces sniper. You like what you do?"

Sam contemplated that and answered "I think it makes a difference in people's lives."

Julie nodded "Yeah that is how I feel about being an MP. Someone has to maintain order. Besides it is the only role that lets me carry a gun routinely. I'm not into the whole damsel in distress thing. I see what I want and go after it."

Interesting Sam thought; a woman that was no shrinking violet. He asked "So what's your favorite gun?" Guns were a safe topic. Nothing personal to share talking about weapons.

Over the next hour they discussed all the finer points of many types of guns and ammo. Sam was beginning to relax a little. Talking, at least about an impersonal topic was good. No pressure. He was taking a small step.

Julie stood and took his empty beer bottle and dumped them both in the trash. She grinned at Sam and said "I won't be but a minute. Grab another cold one out of the fridge if you want" as she headed for the bathroom.

Sam decided he had reached his limit tonight. He had not had any alcohol for so long it was best to stop at three. Sam had had two beers in the three hours the unit was at the bar and had nursed his last one over the past hour.

Julie came out of the bathroom and Sam tensed up. Christ! Gone were the fatigues and she was wearing a slinky teddy. He saw Julie lock the adjoining bathroom door so no one from the other room could barge in.

"I thought I'd just get comfortable. I hope you don't mind" Julie said in a seductive manner as she slinked over to the couch and sat next to Sam.

Talk. He was here to talk. Crap. He was ready for a small step not a fucking leap off the cliff.

Sam got up and went to the fridge. Another cold one sounded like just the thing right now, limit be dammed. He grabbed two. Sam turned and finally got his mouth to work "No I don't mind."

He sat back down and handed her a beer. Opening his he took a swig then grappled for something to say. Inanely he asked "So Julie what do you like to do in your off time?"

Julie set her beer down on the table and leaned into Sam. She got close to his face and whispered "I'm done talking."

She kissed him and molded her body to his. Sam tensed his entire body. Crap.

As Julie continued to kiss him Sam's mind thought kissing, I can handle kissing. Small steps. Kissing is okay. She doesn't have to see my scars to kiss. Sam started to kiss her back.

Then his hands started of their own accord to roam over her body. Hers started to rub his back through his shirt. Sam tensed and started to pull away.

Julie pulled him back. She yanked out his shirt and slid her hands under and onto his sides at his waist. Julie wanted to feel the skin of his rock hard abs and chest.

Sam's breathing became labored not from kissing but from insecurity wondering what her reaction would be to his scars. He started to pull away more forcefully.

Julie wanted to see his abs and chest. Those were the body parts that turned her on most. She loved masculine men with smooth chests and a defined six-pack. She could feel his muscles and his abs were rock solid. She could not wait any longer and her hands yanked his shirt up.

"OH MY GOD!" blurted from Julie's mouth as her face was horror stricken. She scrambled back to the other side of the couch as she stared.

Sam jumped up from the couch and yanked his shirt down. He couldn't bear to look at the pity he saw in her eyes. Pity. He could not handle pity.

Julie's voice dripped heavily with pity "Oh you poor thing. Oh my god what happened to you?"

Sam staggered back and ran into the fridge. Bile started to rise, his stomach clenched and Sam felt like he was going to hurl. The image of the One swam in front of his eyes as Sam's expression filled with both hurt and fury. Sam could not catch his breath.

BANG, BANG, BANG came a loud knocking on the door followed by "Blondie we have to go. Sorry to interrupt but we have orders" Blaze said loudly.

Sam glanced a Julie. Her face was still contorted in a mix of emotions; pity, revulsion and maybe even some fear.

He stumbled passed her without making a single comment. Sam yanked open the door. He looked at Blaze and could not hide his raw, tormented emotions. Sam's mask crumbled as he tried to put it in place. It took all he had not to scream out like a wounded animal.

Blaze saw the look on Blondie's face and immediately became concerned. He looked past Blondie at the woman. Ah shit. He saw the pity and revulsion on her face. Damn this did not go the way the guys hoped. That woman was an idiot.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

He put his arm around Blondie's shoulder and quietly said "Come on kiddo. We have a mission."

As Blondie leaned into him Blaze's fatherly instincts grew and he tightened his hold on Blondie's shoulder. The kid was hurting so much. That idiotic woman had just wounded him deeply. She had just validated all of Blondie's fears and insecurities. God dammit!

* * *

 _ **Base Tarmac**_

Matt and the rest of the guys minus Sam and Blaze gathered on the tarmac still in their jeans and t-shirts. Blaze had gotten a call that they were being sent on a mission. It dawned on all of them that it would be black ops when Blaze told them not to change. Winds had gone off to collect Mason and Blaze had gone to get Blondie.

Winds looked at Matt "You think Blondie got laid?"

Matt was about to respond when he saw Blaze walking towards them with his arm around Sam's shoulder "Ah crap."

The guys all turned to look at what Matt was responding too as Matt jogged toward Sam. The reactions were varied. Swear words were uttered, fists were clenched and hands run through short hair in frustration as each realized that it had not gone well for Blondie.

Blaze pulled up to a stop as Matt reached them. He mouthed 'she saw scars, she showed pity' to Matt.

"Hey Sammy?" Matt said softly.

Sam opened his eyes. He had let Blaze lead him as he kept his eyes closed trying to quiet the inner turmoil. He was trying to close the door on his insecurities and tell himself it did not matter.

Matt reached out and pulled him into a hug. It wasn't a manly quick hug. It was a long and endearing hug of someone who cared deeply for another and knew they were aching inside. It was a hug to convey everything will be okay and I'm here for you.

Sam leaned in and allowed Matt to hold him. It wasn't macho but he needed it so badly. Sam needed the security and acceptance that his brother offered unconditionally. Matt was his lifejacket wrapped tightly around him keeping him afloat in the middle of the ocean of emotions that were trying to drown him.

Colonel Sutton and a beautiful blonde, blue eyed woman approach Winds from the opposite direction that Blaze and Sam had come. Tom looked over at Blaze, Matt and Sam and his stomach dropped. It was clear something had happened.

The blonde stopped just behind Ripsaw and said "Fancy meeting you here."

Ripsaw turned and grinned at the blonde he had been talking to in the bar. The one he had originally picked out for Blondie. "Anastasia how nice to see you again."

Sutton raised a brow and asked "You two know each other?"

"Yes Sir" both answered.

Then Anastasia Lyons added "We met tonight at the bar Sir."

Sutton nodded and then directed his question to Winds "What's going on over there?"

Winds answered "Not exactly sure Sir."

Blaze saw Sutton and strode over leaving Blondie in Matt's care. He needed to do damage control. Stopping in front of Sutton he saluted and said "All present and accounted for Sir. Which is our ride tonight?"

Sutton asked "Your men mission ready Blaze?"

"Yes Sir" Blaze answered immediately.

Giving Blaze an assessing look he questioned "All your men?"

Blaze knew Blondie was a little shaken but Matt would get him sorted out quickly. Blondie would be mission ready by the time they landed. His head would be in the game with no thoughts of dealing with women.

It would be just Blondie and his rifle and Blondie was more than good to go in that department. They would be able to depend on him to cover their back. So he answered "Yes Sir."

Looking over at Matt and Sam, Sutton knew something was up but Blaze was vouching for his men. Blaze could be trusted not to send men on a mission if their heads were not on straight. So whatever was up with Sam, Blaze did not feel Sam was not mission ready.

Sutton stated "Good. Your plane is due to arrive any minute. For now though, I'd like to introduce you to Anastasia Lyons, covert ops. She will be working with your unit on this mission."

Blaze extended his hand to Anastasia "Nice to meet you. You can call me Blaze." Then he introduced the rest of the team gathered around minus Ripsaw which he knew already knew the woman.

Anastasia smiled and said "You must be Daphne's brother."

"Guilty as charged" Blaze said with a smile.

Anastasia then looked over at Sam and the other man that were still standing apart from the group. She asked "Are they part of this mission?"

Blaze nodded "Yes. That is Blondie and Matt."

"Ah so Sam's call sign is Blondie, how original" she said as she pushed back her blonde hair.

The guys chuckled. Ripsaw said "Naming members is not our strong point. Getting the bad guys, now that is altogether a different story."

Sutton interrupted and said seriously "You all will receive your full mission briefing on the plane. This is black ops in and out. We cannot afford to be caught operating in Russia. As far as anyone is concerned you all are on leave, on vacation. We will disavow this mission if you are caught."

"Roger" Blaze answered for the unit. Then his eyes widened as he saw the Learjet pull up.

Mike Galloway brought the plane to a stop then exited the pilot seat and proceeded to open the door. He looked out at the unit and smiled "Welcome aboard."

Low whistles were heard. This was going to be some mission if their ride was a Learjet.

* * *

 _ **General Braddock's Office**_

Sutton knocked and entered. It was very late and they did not stand on ceremony when no staff was in the office. He saw William leaning back in his chair staring out the window.

He sat wearily in a chair "William they are in the air."

General Braddock turned to his friend "Good. How did Samuel look?"

Tom wavered a bit but then decided to put his friend's mind at ease even if his own mind was not "Mission ready."

William looked his friend over with a critical eye "What are you not telling me?"

Blowing out a breath Tom said "Never could lie to you, could I? You see right through me every damned time."

Braddock cocked his head to the side "So what is it?"

Coming clean Tom said "Sam looked a bit off. I only got a brief look at him before he boarded the plane but he didn't seem quite himself. But you know Blaze. He would never risk a man on a mission if he did not feel he was up for it."

Nodding William agreed "Blain is a good judge of his men. I trust Samuel in his care. If Blain thought he was ready then I have to accept that. But this is no ordinary mission. A part of me worries that I'm asking too much of Samuel on this mission."

Smiling at the thought of his son and how girls just flocked to him the General said "But then again Samuel has never had trouble with the ladies. He is a smooth talker and that along with the fact he looks similar to Maks should make this easier for him."

But then his true worry wanted to be aired. William rubbed his temples as he shared "I'm more worried about them getting out without getting caught. I could not stand it if Samuel was thrown in a Russian prison. I'm not so sure he could survive captivity again."

It was Tom's turn to agree "Yes we may be expecting too much. But he has amazed us all so far. You are right in that he will have no problem with the ladies. He will probably enjoy that part. I mean he is a red-blooded young man. As to your worry, all I can offer is that the unit is good. I fully expect they will get out without getting caught and with Dom's girls."

General Braddock only nodded to his friend. They both sat quietly for some time in their own thoughts. The burdens of command weighed heavily on both men. The two of them found companionship in just being quiet in the same room. Neither felt the need to speak.

William sighed and looked at Tom "If there is nothing more why don't we go get a few hours' sleep."

Sutton nodded but then recalled something "Oh one last thing. What do you want me to do about Major Plouffe? He has been a thorn in my side asking when Blain's unit will be back in full action. He says the other units are beginning to really pitch a bitch that Blain's unit is not shouldering their fair share of missions."

Shaking his head William said "I'll never understand how my predecessor promoted him to Major. Deal with him as you see fit. I trust your judgement in that matter Tom."

Tom snorted "If I could do what I wanted to do he would be out of here. But performance wise I have no grounds to do anything."

The General stood "Rules and Regulations are a bitch sometimes aren't they. Sometimes I feel like they tie our hands too much. But we must follow them. Part of me wishes that Dom and I could have taken out Markov and Krymov in our mission. We would not be here and now if that had been allowed."

Walking out with William Tom nodded "Can't agree with you more."

* * *

 _ **Learjet Enroute to Makhachkala, Russia**_

Blaze took some time to review the high level details of the mission while the rest of the unit relaxed.

The jet was configured with two sets of four chairs facing each other. Blondie was in the far back right with Matt sitting in front of him. Across the aisle were Patch and Mason. In the second set of four Blaze sat facing the back of the plane diagonal to Blondie. Directly in front of him was Winds. Across the aisle from them were Anastasia and Ripsaw.

Blaze noticed that Patch had given Blondie Beauty and Matt kept one hand one Blondie's knee giving him human connection. That idiot woman had thrown Blondie for a loop. How could she be so insensitive?

He felt badly and responsible for Blondie's current condition because he had suggested that idiot woman. Perhaps the unit should have vetted a woman for Blondie's first time, especially since they all knew of his insecurities. Hindsight was twenty/twenty.

Blaze pushed that aside and focused on reading the mission details. Two girls kidnapped. They were being held for an extremely high ransom but it was highly suspected that the ransom was only used to draw out their father who was a former British SAS operative.

The purpose of such was to kill the the former SAS operative because he had killed the kidnappers brother years ago. Blaze's unit was in charge of this mission because of a possible leak in SAS that allowed the operative's real identity to be known.

Revenge was a strong motivator Blaze thought. He knew all too well. Revenge would drive him and Winds to seek out and kill every last bastard that had tortured Blondie even if it took them years to do so.

His eyes lit on the mission scenario. It was only through using years of training and sheer force of clenching his jaw that kept Blaze from groaning or swearing out loud. However, internally he was cussing a blue streak.

Blaze looked up and directly at Blondie. How the hell was he going to pull this off? How? Holy shit! This was asking too much of Blondie.

Leaning over to his second in command Blaze whispered "Winds we have a serious problem."

Winds leaned in close "What is that?"

"The General is fucking with Blondie again" Blaze stated.

Blinking at the venom in Blaze's words "How so?" Winds asked almost afraid to hear the answer.

"Blondie's role in this is not over watch like we assumed. He is the principal player. Blondie needs to impersonate Ivkin Maxim (Maks) Gennadiyevich" Blaze stated as he handed over a photo of Maks.

Winds eyes nearly bugged out "Christ, Blondie could pass for him. Same build, same height, same basic facial structure and the coloring is the same, blonde hair and blue eyes. The only thing is Maks looks at least five or ten years older. But we can compensate for that with some creative makeup. What is the issue?"

Blaze shared "Maks is an ultra-rich international playboy with a relentless sexual appetite that is ... how shall I say .. on the fringes of good taste."

Winds' eyes closed as his gut clenched at the implications. Blondie could barely talk to women at the moment. How the hell would he pull this off?

Taking a deep breath and releasing it slowly Winds opened his eyes and asked "What do we need to do? Can we reconfigure this op and still be successful?"

Shaking his head no Blaze said "I don't see how we can reconfigure. None of us even come close to looking like Maks. Not even if we dyed our hair and got colored contacts. Besides, Blondie is the only one that reads and speaks Russian fluently."

Winds snorted "Yeah that one was a shock while we watched the Hunt for Red October. Wonder how many languages the kid actually knows."

Blaze shrugged "More than me that's for damned sure." He sighed "I see no choice but to move forward as planned. We will just have to figure something out."

Flipping the page to continue reading the mission layout Blaze glanced at Anastasia. Perhaps she could help. Her role was to act as Blondie's girlfriend. But the part that worried him was that Blondie had to go into in a bordello owned by Panin Savelievich that caters to the ultra-rich with peculiar sexual appetites.

It was believed that the girls were being held there. But it was so tightly guarded that the only way to recon the interior and locate the girls was to send Blondie in as Maks.

Could Anastasia be sent in with him to shield Blondie from talking to the women? If he did that would it limit Blondie's ability to recon the interior?

Blaze decided to wait to make a decision. They needed to recon the exterior and establish Blondie as Maks in several night clubs before arranging an invitation to Savelievich's establishment.

Standing up Blaze got the unit's attention.

At a tap on his knee Sam opened his eyes and saw Matt motion to remove Beauty. Sam saw Blaze standing at the front of the plane. The expression on Blaze's face made his stomach roll. Sam could tell he was not going to like this mission one bit.

Blaze cleared his throat and began the briefing. The mood in the plane became somber as detail after detail was shared. When Blaze was done reviewing the high level mission details and each unit member's role including Anastasia he handed out dossiers for each of them to study.

Sam was the only one impersonating a real person. All the others had created identities and just had to memorize the details of that created identity. He was given a laptop and headphones to watch videos of the man he was to impersonate.

His suspicions were confirmed as Sam listened to Blaze brief the unit. Watching the video Sam felt his stomach turn and turn and it was with great effort he kept his face neutral.

Inside Sam was a fucking mess though. How the hell was he going to pull this off? What if he had to actually disrobe? Would his scars give him away?

More importantly, could he even do that? Would he fucking lose it like he had done with Julie not two hours ago and blow the mission? Two little girls could die if he blew the mission.

This was another example of his fucking bad luck or fate screwing with him. He could not even suggest anyone swap roles with him. None of the others even came close to looking like Maks. Dammit!

Sam had to find a way to do his job and not fuck it up. He could not live with himself if he was the cause of two more little girls dying.

To divert his worry Sam decided to focus on the Russian language. He was rusty. It had been ages since he spoke it.

However, he read it quite often though thanks to Matt's and by default the unit's gift last year. The book was a treasured gift. It was the inscription in the book that had made him aware that Matt had lied to Blaze and had kept his secret about knowing his birthday.

Sam looked up at Matt who was studying his role, chauffeur. Matt could have fun with that one for sure. Maybe if he was allowed Sam would rent a Corvette, a red one.

Matt would like that; especially since he would likely never own one. Army pay, not even with the extra for hazard duty was not something one got rich from. Renting a Corvette for Matt to drive on his mission cheered him up a bit.

Sam got back to watching the videos and repeating out loud what was said in Russian to brush up on his accent.

After a while he noticed that the guys began to change into the clothes that were provided to match their covers. He saw Anastasia smile as the guys simply shucked their clothes and changed in front of her. God could he change in front of her?

When Anastasia rose to change the men afforded Anastasia privacy by adverting and closing their eyes.

Sam could not put off changing any longer and rose to change. He was surprised when the guys all stood up pretending to stretch or get something and basically formed a wall that blocked Anastasia's view as he changed.

Their actions did not go unnoticed by either Sam or Anastasia even if they were trying to be nonchalant about it. Sam was grateful. His brothers continually amazed him.

When Sam was redressed the guys began to sit down and Sam saw that Anastasia was perplexed. He just dipped his head and sat back down to focus on studying Maks' body movements and manner of speaking in the videos.

Mike had listened to the briefing and he had cringed inside. He was aware of the torture Sam endured. Including all the wounds caused by the needles because he was in the office often when Dr. Parker gave the General updates on his condition.

As the General's lead security man he was privy to more private information than maybe even Mrs. General knew about General Braddock and Sam. But it was information he would take to the grave. It was not his place to ever divulge what he knew.

He had noticed what the unit guys did when Sam began to change. It was telling. Mike deduced that Sam was probably having difficulty accepting what his body looked like with all the scaring. And if he hadn't accepted it there was no way in hell he would be comfortable in the role he had just been forced into.

Mike had an internal struggle going on himself. He was not sure he should share an aspect of his previous life that might be a benefit now. So far he had never revealed anything of his past to anyone other than the General. Mike knew his past was safe with the General as much as the General knew his secrets were safe with Mike.

But perhaps he should tell Blaze. The things he knew could make a difference for Sam and could mean the difference between success and failure of this mission.

After everyone was changed and deep into reading and memorizing their roles Mike made a hard decision and called out to Blaze.

When Blaze entered the cabin and sat in the copilot seat Mike whispered "I might be able to help Sam."

Blaze narrowed his eyes. This was the General's lead security man. Why would he want to help Blondie but more importantly how? He asked "How?"

"You need to keep this confidential. It goes no further than you and Sam if absolutely necessary" Mike stated as he looked directly at Blaze.

Blaze nodded "I will. You have my word."

Mike confided quietly "I was acquainted with Maks Gennadiyevich at one time. Long ago, in another life time. I know things about Maks that Sam will not get in those videos."

Hazel eyes widened in surprise as Blaze said "Really?"

Nodding Mike added "I can give Sam some tips that might smooth the way."

"I'll keep that in mind Mike. Let's get settled and met up with Dom before we make a decision if you need to share anything" Blaze remarked.

Mike nodded.

Blaze asked "Anything else?"

Mike only stated "We have two hours until we arrive. Customs should be pretty easy if Sam, I mean Maks flashes a few bills."

Blaze nodded "Good to know."

As he sat there Blaze began to wonder how Mike would know Maks. As far as Blaze knew the two would never meet in a million years.

Mike was an unassuming albeit highly skilled Special Forces soldier. When and where would Mike ever come across an ultra-rich international playboy? How would Mike know Maks well enough to give Blondie tips to smooth his way?

Deciding not to pry, Blaze simply asked "I assume you know your role?"

"Yep, I'm an international playboy's pilot" Mike stated with a smirk.

.

* * *

 _ **AN: If you are enjoying this story please consider dropping me a note. A Huge thank you to the 1 to 2 percent of my readers that make comments, it really brightens my day and makes me all warm and fuzzy inside :D **_

_I do love reading what you think of the story and your insights and questions sometimes change the course of the story._ _For example, I decided to include the rescue of Dom's girls into this story because it will help Sam make the transition back and because several readers had asked me to tell that story. I also have several readers wanting to know Magic Mike's backstory. So pieces of it will be told in this story before it is finished._

 _ **PS for readers of YHABL and Alpha Injuries.** I am working on the next chapter of YHABL and hope to have it posted tomorrow. For Alpha Injuries I have the ideas and a preliminary sketches for V, W and X stories but I need to get at least one of the other stories (Ski Trip, YHABL or RoMCSB) completed before getting to it. Four is just too many to have going at one time._


	27. No Ditzy Blonde, You Take the Bed & Papa

**No Ditzy Blonde, You Take the Bed & Papa Come Get Us **

* * *

**_Learjet Enroute to Makhachkala, Russia_**

Anastasia finished memorizing her character details and looked up and began taking full measure of the unit she was working with. She had been recruited for covert ops five years ago. Her natural ability to read people coupled with her grasp of languages had been the reasons she was recruited. What she was being asked to do was nothing new.

She was comfortable in her own skin and being asked to play a ditzy, bimbo and plaything was easy. Most men took one look at her looks and discounted her completely. It was the best way to gain information.

It sometimes amazed her still how men would simply speak in front of her thinking she was stupid and incapable of understanding them. They let their guard down and Anastasia used that to her full advantage. She had taken down some pretty nasty targets that way.

But in the past she had typically worked alone and played the ditzy blonde to get close to the target. This was different. It was the first time she was asked to work with a Special Forces unit.

She was not the one in charge of this mission either. Anastasia did not know these men and how they operated. If she was going to come out of this alive she needed to take a moment to assess who she was going to be working with.

Her eyes landed on Lieutenant Blain, Blaze. He was in charge even though his role was background. She knew of Blaze, Daphne had spoken of her brother a few times. He was a father figure to Daphne. From what she saw as he read and then presented the mission he was concerned about the one they all called Blondie. She wasn't sure why but they all seemed very protective of him.

From the reactions and demeanor of the other men she could tell that they trusted Blaze to lead them. That was a good sign. A commander who had the trust of his men showed her that Blaze valued his men too.

Anastasia relaxed a bit when she came to the conclusion to trust Blaze too. She got a sense that he would do all in his power to ensure everyone got out safely and that they completed their mission.

She looked at the second in command. They called him Winds. She wondered if that was because he was their communications specialist. He seemed rather quiet for it to be a nickname based on him talking a lot. He appeared to be competent. He was currently assessing the electronic surveillance gear that had been provided.

Anastasia saw a thin white scar on his left palm, nearly identical to one that Blaze had on his left palm. She wondered how they got those. They appeared to be knife wounds. Must have been some crazy knife attack with a target, Anastasia was well aware what kind of damage a knife could do.

Her eyes shifted to Ripsaw. He was a hoot. She had a good time talking with him in the bar. He was shorter than her and Special Forces but his wit and charm might just make her change her mind about dating Special Forces men. With her line of work she wanted a man with a rather dull, safe line of work. As she had told Sherry and Julie, Special Forces men die a lot.

She had too much loss in her life to want to fall for a man that put his life on the line on a daily basis. Anastasia wanted something stable. Someone who she would know was at home waiting for her. Someone she could grow old with. But Ripsaw might just get her to change her mind.

They had laughed a lot in the bar. He had not shared much about the unit he was with, Special Forces units tended to be tight lipped about their mates. That is, the good units did. They looked out for one another and kept secrets.

Speaking of secrets there had to be one with Blondie.

He had the looks to be a ladies man. But he had been so nervous talking to Julie. Sherry was an idiot to make him feel more insecure when she introduced herself and then again to call him out on that dare for him to speak with Julie.

The way Blondie's head had bowed, the way he had run his hand through his hair and blushed told her that he was very shy and nervous around women.

That almost made her sigh. Fate had a damned funny way of messing with people. Being given great looks, looks that made him a girl magnet, but then giving him no social skills with women was just cruel.

Anastasia wondered what it would be like if he had been granted such skills. He'd probably bed anything in a skirt if that was the case. Maybe fate was trying to balance things out.

Although, thinking about it he probably got laid tonight anyways. Julie had a thing for toned men, especially if they were in Special Forces. Julie went gaga over a muscular men with six pack abs.

Anastasia knew this because Julie never stopped talking about the men she slept with and making comparisons regarding their chests and abs. Julie even kept a list of her top ten ranking. Anastasia briefly wondered where Blondie would rank in Julie's top ten.

Her gaze shifted to Mason. He had kind eyes. By his actions and the constant covert glances he made to Blondie she could see he was worried about his mate. Sherry was right that the facial scars made him look fierce but she'd lay odds that he was a teddy bear at heart.

A small smile graced her face as she thought that fate again was fickle. Fate made a man the size of a grizzly bear and just as scary with his scars but gave him a kind heart the same size. But then she looked closer at Mason. He was reading over the mission details again.

She saw his eyes change. They became hard as flint. She changed her assessment slightly. Heart of a teddy bear for those he cared about but claws and teeth of a grizzly bear for those that threatened those he cared about. Sherry was right, he was a highland warrior through and through.

Patch, the unit medic, was so easy to read. His emotions were on his sleeve. Of all of them Anastasia worried most about him.

This was a covert ops mission where one had to hide what they truly felt. It was good that he was given a background job. Patch and Blaze were in charge of acquiring weapons and reconing the exterior of Panin Savelievich's establishment. That would keep Patch out of direct sight which in this case was a good thing; his emotions would not give them away.

Again she saw worry for Blondie in his eyes and actions. When Matt and Blondie had approached the plane he had been the first one to go to Blondie. He had whispered something in Blondie's ear and Blondie had shaken his head quickly and spoke very quietly something she did not overhear. She wondered what that was about.

Over the past two and a half hours Patch had hovered over Blondie. He made sure Blondie ate, drank and it looked like he made Blondie take some pills. The look on Blondie's face had been interesting when he downed the pills Patch forced on him. It was almost like a petulant child that complied only because they knew they could not get away without doing so. Again she wondered about that, it was odd.

That brought her to the man they all called Matt. He was the only one without a call sign. That was odd too.

At first she thought he must be the rookie and they had not gotten around to naming him yet. But then she remembered Ripsaw saying he was technically the rookie of the unit because he transferred in last. But Anastasia could see that Ripsaw was not the true rookie, just by his age.

The true rookie looked to be Blondie. He looked too young to be in Special Forces. But then again Anastasia knew looks could be deceiving. She knew that first hand and relied on it to do her job. She was no ditzy blonde even though that is what her targets saw.

It was quite the opposite. Anastasia was a member of Mensa which required a score at or above the ninety-eighth percentile on standardized IQ tests. She spoke twenty languages fluently and another ten well enough to hold a basic conversation. She held Master degrees in psychology, philosophy, literature and history. So Anastasia was well aware of the fact that looks were only skin deep and gave you no clue who the person was inside.

Her mind went back to Matt. He was a bit of an enigma. The way he had held Blondie on the tarmac most people might infer he had a thing for Blondie, not that there was anything wrong with that in her mind. But she didn't sense that was what it was. To her Matt seemed very protective, almost like he was looking after a little brother who was hurt and needed comfort and reassurance.

Matt had not taken his hand off of Blondie's knee since they sat down and buckled up. It seemed almost like a grounding wire, like if he let go Blondie would float away. She sensed anger too. Anastasia read it in his green eyes as he had glanced at the other guys. They would darken to almost black. That was a bit scary. She wondered what would cause that reaction.

Anastasia turned her attention to Blondie. She nearly laughed when she realized she had essentially assessed each of the others in relation to Blondie. Okay, so Blondie.

He was young, handsome and shy around women. The others were concerned for him. It was clearly written on their faces or in their actions since they boarded the plane. It became an undeniable fact by their reactions when Blaze related what Blondie's role in this mission was.

Why?

Blondie did not look comfortable that was for damned sure. She could see how rigid his body was and how tense he had been the entire flight. He had not relaxed once.

Blondie had put in ear buds as soon as they had taken seats on the plane after Patch handed him a music player. That had been odd but none of the men seemed to think it was out of the ordinary. Maybe he was afraid of flying.

But she wasn't so sure that was it. She had seen something in his eyes. It was hard to interpret because what she saw was so jumbled up. There were so many emotions that played in that young man's eyes. His face was an impassive mask but his eyes gave away so much. She was pretty sure she read pain, fear, anger, disgust, sadness, determination, vulnerability and strength in his eyes.

The success or failure of this mission depended on this young man. The lives of two innocent girls depended on Blondie being able to impersonate Maks. That was a lot for one so young to bear.

Perhaps it was too much. Anastasia got the sense that Blaze thought so. She could almost feel the waves of concern for Blondie coming off of him.

Anastasia decided she needed to get to the bottom of what was going on. With her role she would be the one closest to Blondie. If she could she would help. She just needed to understand the situation and what had all Blondie's unit buddies on edge.

She leaned forward and placed a hand on Ripsaw's knee getting his attention. Ripsaw looked at her and she gave him a small sincere smile and said barely above a whisper "Tell me what has everyone on edge. Why did you all stand and block my view of Blondie when he changed?"

Ripsaw put his hand on hers and replied "Not my place to tell."

She took a deep breath and released it slowly "I understand. But I need to know if I'm going to play my role properly."

Shaking his head no Ripsaw remained quiet. He could not tell Anastasia. Ripsaw would not do that to Blondie. It had to be up to Blondie.

Anastasia leaned back in her chair. Ripsaw's reaction was telling to her. Whatever it was that had this unit on edge and protective of Blondie it was bad. She wished she knew more about this unit. Daphne only ever talked about her brother and even that was minimal. She knew that Blaze had raised Daphne after their parents died and she loved him dearly even though they argued like cats and dogs. But beyond that she did not know anything.

Her gaze slipped back to Blondie. She would need to approach him if she was going to find out what was going on. But here and now was not the place to do it. When they got to the hotel and were alone in the room would be the time. Anastasia hoped he would open up when they were alone.

With that decided Anastasia relaxed a bit. They would be landing soon and she needed to shift her mind into the persona of the ditzy blonde. She let the analytical side of her rest as she closed her eyes. Whatever was up with Blondie she had no doubt this unit would do its best to achieve a successful outcome of this mission.

Mike called out "Buckle up, just about show time. We'll be landing in about ten minutes."

* * *

 ** _Hotel Makhachkala – Lobby_**

Anastasia draped herself on Blondie as they stood in the lobby of the newest luxury hotel in Makhachkala. She was in full ditzy blonde mode ohing and ahing over the beautiful interior. She could feel the tension in Blondie's body but outward appearances made him look relaxed and his face wore a dispassionate expression of the idle rich.

As they had disembarked the plane she had overheard Blaze instruct Blondie to flash cash at the customs agents and to listen to anything that Mike might tell him. Blondie had just nodded then headed towards customs.

They had gotten through customs with no trouble when Blondie flashed the cash. They had not even been searched. They were whisked through and into taxis without a hitch.

Mike had given Blondie a pair of sunglasses as they started to exit the taxi and whispered to him "Wear these and let your entourage do all the business. Service people are beneath your notice."

Again Blondie nodded and he complied.

Blaze walked up to the reception desk and said what he had practiced with Blondie "Bronirovaniye dlya Ivkin Maksim Gennadiyevich" (Reservation for Ivkin Maxim Gennadiyevich).

The receptionist looked over at Ivkin Maxim Gennadiyevich, Maks he was called by the society papers. Her heart fluttered. Oh god Maks was standing in her lobby. She nodded and quickly pulled up the reservation. She noted it was paid in full and she pulled out keys for their four finest rooms.

She handed the tall black haired man the keys. He was a little intimidating. But less so than the two security men that stood behind Maks. One was huge and one was small in stature but no less intimidating. She was jealous of the blonde woman hanging onto Maks. She barely noticed the other four men carrying luggage.

"Naslazhdaytes' otdykhom. Yesli g-n Gennadiyevich nichego, nuzhno tol'ko pozvonit' vniz."  
(Enjoy your stay. If Mr. Gennadiyevich needs anything just call down) the receptionist said then her eyes went back to Maks wanting to look her fill.

Blaze simply took the keys and nodded. He was unsure of what she actually said but with a quick glance following where her eyes went he saw Blondie. The kid was moving towards the elevators. So Blaze figured it was normal call if you need anything dialog that did not require a response.

All nine of them crowded into the elevator at once and no one spoke. They would maintain silence until they completed an electronics sweep of the rooms and set up jammers so they could not be listened in on.

Exiting the elevator on the fifteenth and top floor they headed towards the four rooms. On this floor there were only six guest rooms and the unit had four of them. This floor was reserved for affluent guests that could afford the exorbitant prices.

* * *

 ** _Hotel Makhachkala – Luxury Suite_**

They arrived at the luxury suite that Blondie and Anastasia would share. It was larger than the other rooms and would double as their command room too. Mason took point as he entered the room. He and Ripsaw cleared the large main sitting room, the bedroom and the lavish bathroom before waving the others in.

Winds and Blaze began opening luggage and pulling out equipment. Winds handed a scanner to Matt and Patch and kept one for himself. The unit set about securing the room.

Once it was determined to be free of any bugs and cameras Winds setup the jamming device. The unit gathered close and Blaze gave out instructions "Ripsaw you will stay here with Blondie and Anastasia. Mason, Winds, Matt and Patch you will secure the remaining rooms. Mike and I will be heading out to make contact with Dom and arrange transportation and get the lay of the land."

Sam remarked "See if you can get a Corvette, red preferable."

Blaze laughed "And why is that?"

Sam shrugged and gave a very small grin "Matt always wanted to drive a Corvette. Seems like a grand opportunity as my driver. Yellow would be okay too."

Anastasia was surprised to see that grin. It was nice. It transformed his face. It had a boyish quality to it.

She found herself grinning in response to it but she had to make the obvious comment because a Corvette didn't really fit into the operation plans. "You do know only two people can fit in a Corvette. Where is your girlfriend supposed to sit?"

Sam was about to answer when Matt quipped "In his lap. Right Maks?"

The unit chuckled but Blaze said "I'll see what I can do. Might be good if you have to go solo to establish your cover. Dom was in charge of arranging that though."

Blaze then gave out additional orders "Once the rooms are secure I want you all to get some shut eye. We begin our op tonight. Blondie if you need anything to help with that, talk to Patch. You need to be on top of your game tonight and you can't do that half asleep. We will meet back here at 1600 hours."

Anastasia was surprised to hear that Blondie might need something to help him sleep. She wondered why. She also saw the pointed look that Patch gave Blondie and the slight almost imperceptible nod that Blondie gave in return. There was definitely a non-verbal conversation between them. About what Anastasia was unsure.

The men broke up after that and headed off to do as ordered. She turned to the luggage and set about unpacking the few clothes that were arranged for her cover. Blondie did the same thing.

Ripsaw went to the minibar and pulled out a water and then went to Blondie "Drink this and do you need me to get Patch?"

Sam took the water and opened it. He had been drinking a lot of water to flush his system of the alcohol he had consumed last night. He downed half and said "No I'll try on my own first."

Ripsaw nodded "Okay but don't leave it too long before asking if you need it or Blaze will be all over your ass. I've got watch. You get yourself to bed."

Sam looked at the bed and then at Anastasia and said "You take the bed, I'll take the couch."

Anastasia said softly "Bed's large enough for both of us. I don't bite." As soon as she said it she saw Blondie tense. God he must be horribly shy around women to tense up over just sleeping in the same bed.

She gently laid a hand on his upper arm "It's just sleeping. You'll be more comfortable on the bed." Then she quickly thought of a way to make it easier for him and added "Besides I want to go down and arrange for food to be sent up for the whole team. I gather you and I are the only ones that speak Russian and as Maks that is not something you would do."

Ripsaw liked what he saw. Anastasia had picked up on Blondie's discomfort and was trying to help in a way. He said "Mike speaks it too. That is why he went with Blaze to meet our contact. But you are right; I think it would be good if we got some food and Maks would not be the one to go order it. I'll escort you down. Blondie you need anything the guys are in 1501, 1502 and 1504."

Sam nodded "Okay."

Anastasia and Ripsaw headed out. Sam headed into the bedroom.

He slipped off the suit jacket and hung it up. The suit was expensive as were the shoes he kicked off. He undid his pants and let them drop. Then he hung them up too. He loosened the tie and took it off then laid it on the dresser. Unbuttoning the fine silk shirt he went to the window and looked out.

Sam could see the beach from the window and a small shiver went through him as he looked out at the Caspian Sea. He hated open water. It terrified him ever since he drowned. He turned away from the window and looked at the bed.

"Fuck Braddock what the hell are you going to do? You cannot even undress in front of a woman. How the hell are you supposed to manage being a fucking man whore like Maks?" Sam spat out angrily venting his fears.

He strode to the mirror in the room as he removed his shirt. Thin pink and white lines covered his chest. He was not vain but this was terrible to look at. He rarely did. Sam knew his back was worse. The dark voices started to whisper to him.

"NO!" Sam yelled at his own image. Then softer he said "No. I will not listen to you. You will not win. Every day I live is a fuck you, you sadistic bastard! You will not win. I will not let you win."

Sam strode to the closet and hung up the shirt then to the dresser and pulled out a t-shirt. He yanked it over his head and then went to the bed. He used to be comfortable sleeping in the nude but boxers and a t-shirt were required now.

He crawled in and used his training to force himself to relax. Two girls were depending on him and he needed sleep to be at his best. He would not fail them like he failed Sara.

Sam was emotionally and physically exhausted and quickly dropped into a deep sleep.

Patch silently slipped into the room to check on Blondie. Before Ripsaw headed down with Anastasia he had stopped to ask one of the guys to go stay with Blondie. Patch offered just in case Blondie needed him.

He smiled when he found Blondie already sound asleep. That was good. Patch set two pain pills on the bedside table with a bottle of water.

Blondie was back but he still experienced aches and pains in his feet and his back spasmed often. Dr. Parker explained that it could take up to a year for the pains to go away completely and it was best to ensure Blondie stayed on top of the pain. So Patch made sure Blondie did.

Patch sat down quietly in the chair in the bedroom. Watching Blondie sleep had become a part of his life in the last months. Blondie's resilience still amazed him. Some men would never be able to recover from what Blondie had endured.

The kid looked so young when he slept. He wished the emotional wounds could heal as quickly as the physical ones. Those wounds would leave scars too. Like the rest of the unit he was pissed at the General. How fucking insensitive for him to send Blondie on this type of mission so soon.

As they boarded the plane he had asked if Blondie needed for him to declare him unfit for the mission. He would have in a heartbeat. Blondie had shook his head no but answered "I'm fine but I can do my job. You can count on me to watch your backs."

He had let Blondie board after that. God he wished he hadn't.

When Blaze began to detail the mission his gut clenched. None of them would have guessed in a million years that Blondie's role would be anything other than over watch and tactics. For him to be the primary, the one with the full weight of the mission on his shoulders was like a punch to the gut.

If this went south and those girls died or they got caught, Patch knew there would be no coming back for Blondie. Hell Blondie still felt responsible for Gary's death. Nothing any of them said changed the kid's mind. He only said he should have run faster.

Patch had watched the guilt grow when Blaze told Blondie that Gleason died when he was on a mission to find him. Damn he wished that Blaze had not told Blondie the truth about that. But Blaze said he would not lie to Blondie when he asked what happened to Gleason after Blondie found out Yankee took over Gleason's unit.

He was pulled out of his thoughts as the door opened. He heard Ripsaw and Anastasia enter the room. He stood and headed out to let them know to be quiet.

Anastasia smiled at Patch "Did he need anything to fall asleep?"

Patch answered "No. He was out like a light when I arrived."

Ripsaw grinned slightly then said "Food will be sent up in about twenty minutes. Time for you to get some rest Patch."

As he stood up Patch nodded and said "Left pills for Blondie on the night stand. If he refuses to take them when he wakes call me or Matt."

"Will do" Ripsaw responded as Patch headed out.

* * *

 ** _Panin Savelievich's Bordello – Basement_**

Eleven year old Anna-Marie Savoy and thirteen year old Nicolette Savoy huddled the corner of the damp, cold basement room. They were sitting on the bed, the only piece of furniture in the room. Nicolette had pulled the only blanket over both of them but made sure Annie was covered more than her.

She was the big sister. Nicolette needed to take care of Annie. They had been locked in this tiny room for four days now. The scary men came every so often and checked to make sure they were still there. Not that they could go anywhere. The door was locked and she and Annie had no idea where they were.

They had been walking home from school, laughing with their friends and making plans to go shopping on the weekend. Then a black van pulled up and one man grabbed Annie. Nicolette had screamed for him to let her go. But then another man grabbed her and clamped his hand over her mouth.

Their friends ran screaming for help as she and Annie were pulled into the van.

One of the men then stuck a needle in each of them. She wasn't sure what happened after that but she woke up and found that she and Annie were on a small plane. The men that grabbed them were on the plane too. They were speaking a language she did not know.

Nicolette enjoyed learning new languages and had fun speaking English and Spanish with her papa and mama. Next year mama was going to begin teaching her Mandarin and papa was going to start teaching her Italian. A tear slipped out as she thought that is if I'm still alive next year.

After they landed they were shoved into large metal trunks and they were drugged again. When they woke again they were in this room. The men fed them but only a little and not regularly.

Nicolette brushed away her tear. It would not do for Annie to see her crying. She needed to be brave so her little sister would be less frightened.

"Nikki pensez-vous qu'ils vont nous nourrir aujourd'hui. J'ai tellement faim."  
(Nikki do you think they are going to feed us today. I'm so hungry) Anna-Marie whispered in a frightened voice as her sister moved next to her.

"Je ne sais pas Annie. Mais nous allons bien. Papa va venir nous chercher. Il sera. Rappelez-vous juste cela et être courageux."  
(I don't know Annie. But we are going to be okay. Papa will come get us. He will. Just remember that and be brave) Nicolette said as she pulled her sister closer.

"Je suis en train d'être courageux, mais je suis tellement peur. Je manque maman et papa."  
(I'm trying to be brave but I'm so scared. I miss mama and papa) Anna-Marie cried.

"Oui, vous êtes courageux. Je voulais être courageux un peu plus longtemps. Je manque maman et papa aussi."  
(Yes you are being brave. I meant be brave a little longer. I miss mama and papa too) Nicollete soothed.

In her mind Nicolette pleaded papa come get us. I'm scared. Annie's scared. These are really scary men papa. Come save us papa. I want to go home.


	28. Lying Man's Café & AH AH AH OOOOH Please

**Lying Man's Café & AH AH AH OOOOH Please **

* * *

**_Lezha Kafe Cheloveka_**

Blaze and Mike approached the cafe where they would meet Dom. Looking at the signage Blaze asked in a muted tone "Translation?"

Mike grinned "Lying Man's Café."

"Fitting" Blaze said.

They entered and headed for the back. They sat at a table where they could see both the front and into the kitchen. Mike ordered breakfast for both of them. Dom was to meet them here. They were instructed to watch for a man wearing a small fleur-de-lis pin on his cap. He was to be addressed as Dom only. No last name was given.

Both men kept watch as they ate breakfast in silence.

Dom watched the two enter the café. He waited fifteen minutes to make sure no one had followed them. There was too much at stake to make any small slip ups. His daughter's lives hung in the balance.

He hated with a passion that William had to send his only son to help. He was also eternally grateful for the help. If he wasn't worried about a leak in SAS he would have gone to his own old unit for assistance. But there was no way Markov and Krymov Yurievich could have known it was him unless there was a leak somewhere.

After he got his daughter's back he would have to find the leak and plug it. But family came first. Anna and Nikki were his life. His precious girls were everything to him and Jeannette.

Poor Jeannette had broken down and could not stop crying. It was hard to watch his wife break like that. She was a strong woman but something like this hit her so very hard. If he did not bring Anna and Nikki home safely Dom knew he would lose Jeannette too. She was strong but not strong enough to survive the death of their daughters.

He could not fail in this.

Dom skirted across the street and entered the café. It was full and there were no empty tables. It was the one reason he selected this café. It made his ruse of meeting two men accidentally more likely.

He went up to the table with two empty chairs. He tipped his cap using his finger to point to the small fleur-de-lis pin.

"Vy ne vozrazhayete , yesli ya sizhu zdes' ? Mesto dovol'no yemkiy segodnya."  
(Do you mind if I sit here? The place is rather full today) Dom asked in Russian.

Mike nodded and pointed to the chair "Sadites', pozhaluysta" (Please sit).

Dom ordered breakfast then asked "Biznes ili udovol'stviye?" (Business or Pleasure?)

"My zdes' na otdykhe . Kaspiyskoye more krasivo"  
(We are here on vacation. The Caspian Sea is beautiful) Mike answered.

"Otkuda vy?"  
(Where are you from?) Dom asked as his plate was delivered.

"Germaniya"  
(Germany) Mike answered.

"Deutschland, wie schön. Ich hatte seit Ewigkeiten keine Möglichkeit mehr Deutsch zu üben."  
(Germany how wonderful. I haven't had an opportunity to practice my German in ages) Dom smiled broadly and switched to speaking in German.

At this point Blaze joined the conversation. While Mike and Dom had been speaking he was assessing the other patrons looking for anyone that might be eavesdropping. He had not seen anyone and the small portable jammer he had in his inside jacket pocket would prevent any listening devices from hearing them.

"Sie sprechen Deutsch? Wie wundervoll. Ich spreche noch kein Russisch. Sind sie von hier?"  
(You speak German. Wonderful. I have not mastered Russian yet. Are you from around here?) Blaze asked as planned.

The conversation carried on in German and all three kept watch as they passed coded information between each other. Dom had determined which bars Blondie should visit to establish himself as Maks and who to look for in each location so that he could get invited to Panin Savelievich's Bordello.

He stressed that time was of the utmost importance. Blondie only had two nights to swing an invitation to bordello. If not they needed to go to plan B and that was too risky. Plan B required Dom to follow the demands of Markov and Krymov. It was sure death for Dom and a very high probability of death for his daughters.

Mike suggested a bar that Dom had not and both Blaze and Dom looked at Mike questioningly. Mike lowered his voice and urged them to just accept what he said. The look on Mike's face had both men wondering just what Mike did not want to tell them. But they added that bar to the list.

They spoke for nearly two hours lingering over coffee looking like three men who just happened to meet. The last bit of information Dom supplied was contacts and locations where the unit could acquire the necessary weapons.

As they were finishing up Blaze asked "Gibt es irgendeine Möglichkeit wie wir uns einen Corvette mieten können?" (Any way we can swing renting a Corvette?)

Dom asked why and Blaze just shrugged and said it would be flashy and a way for Maks to get noticed and added the request for a red or yellow one if possible. Dom laughed but agreed and said he would make the arrangements if possible. All payments for rentals and such were being funneled through Dom acting as a financial representative for Maks. Dom indicated the cars would arrive at the hotel by 1600.

They paid their bills and headed out. Dom was off to take care of business and Mike and Blaze back to the hotel to finally get some sleep.

* * *

 ** _Hotel Makhachkala – Luxury Suite_**

Anastasia was awoken by a sound. Instantly awake she turned to the sound and found Blondie softly whimpering and curled up tightly. She looked to the closed bedroom door and wondered if she should go get one of his buddies.

But the sound was pitiful and it broke her heart. She reached out and gently laid a hand on his arm. She lightly rubbed it trying to sooth his nightmare.

In an instant she found herself pinned to the bed with Blondie above her. There was confusion and deadly intent in his eyes.

"Stop Blondie. I'm a friend. Stop" Anastasia cried out softly not wanting to startle Blondie more.

Sam came fully aware. Ah crap. He saw he had Anastasia pinned to the bed beneath him. He quickly rolled off and stalked to the window, well away from her.

He turned back to the bed and said "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you. I'm sorry."

Anastasia sat up on the bed wondering at the speed in which this man moved. It was startling. She sat on the edge of the bed and responded "No need to be sorry. I should know better than to get to close to someone having a nightmare. Especially someone trained as you are."

Sam nodded and turned to the window "Still I'm sorry. Sorry I woke you. Go back to sleep. I'll head into the other room and crash on the couch."

"You can't do that. Ripsaw is on the couch" Anastasia replied.

Running his hands through his hair Sam responded "Then I'll just sleep on the floor out there." He started for the door.

Anastasia was up in a flash and positioned herself between Blondie and the door "No need to do that. The bed is still big enough for both of us."

Sam looked at the blonde woman "Too risky."

Anastasia half-smiled and lightly asked "How so?"

Sam wanted to leave. He was embarrassed for being caught in a nightmare by this woman. He was scared too that he might have hurt her. "I could have another nightmare and hurt you. I don't want to hurt you."

Reaching out and laying a hand on his shoulder Anastasia felt him flinch and withdraw. In a soft voice Anastasia said "Blondie I'm not scared of you. How you reacted was instinct. How you have been trained. I'm sorry my touch upsets you."

Sam looked at Anastasia "It doesn't."

"Yes it does. I can see you are uncomfortable with women. Shy maybe. It's okay, you don't need to be shy with me. Just think of me as one of the guys for this op" Anastasia said.

A mirthless chuckled emitted from Sam as he walked back to the window "Yeah right. You look nothing like one of the guys."

Anastasia lightly laughed as she followed Blondie to the window "Well you have a point there. But you know looks are only skin deep. They don't tell you who the person is on the inside. Inside I'm one of the guys. We have a mission to save two girls."

Sam stared out the window thinking on Anastasia's words. If it were only that simple. He felt her hand on his arm again. He fought the urge to flinch away. He lost that battle and took a step away from her.

"Blondie?" Anastasia said in a questioning tone.

Sam crossed his arms tightly over his chest before turning back to Anastasia "Sorry. I just … I …."

"You just are having trouble with me touching you. I won't pretend to know why. Just know that I would like to help. I can see that the weight of this op is squarely on your shoulders. I can see the concern the unit has for you and how they protect you. I don't understand what is going on but I'd like to help if I can" Anastasia said softly.

Stepping further away Sam said "You cannot help. I just need to suck it up and do my damned job."

The thought of failure and of getting two girls killed scared the hell out of him. If he failed he would prove just how worthless he really was. He turned away from Anastasia again unable to look at her. Then he started to shake. God dammit he could not control that. He was pathetic.

Watching him pull away, turn away and then begin shaking Anastasia realized that something deep was happening here. This was no simple shyness of women.

She wiped all emotion from her face and said calmly "Blondie I can help."

Sam bit his bottom lip and shook his head not looking at her. He wanted to reply but he didn't trust his voice.

"Let me try and help. Please" Anastasia softly said.

Sam's mind was racing. How can she help? I cannot take another woman looking at me with horror, disgust and pity. Those girls were going to die because he could not get his fucking act together. The weight of everything crashed down on Sam and he stumbled to the bed.

Anastasia watched Blondie stumble to the bed. He barely made it before he crashed down in it. Slowly, very slowly she headed for the bed. She stopped near the bed when she heard a quiet sob. Oh god. This young man was hurting. Hurting so deeply.

With the way the other guys treated him it was clear that something happened to him. The pain meds on the bedside table. Blaze and Ripsaw telling him to ask for sleeping aids if he needed them. The way Matt kept a hand on him and held him on the tarmac. The way they all shielded him from her view when he changed. It was abundantly clear something had happened.

But just what the hell had happened to him?

Anastasia sat on the edge of the bed. She heard the quiet sobs. Without thinking she reached out and stroked his head like she would a child. That thought brought her pain, pain dulled by time but she pushed the thought of a child away.

She scooted more on the bed so she could reach his head easier because he did not pull away from that touch like he did on his arms.

Sam felt a hand on his head. He was so pathetic and weak. He could not stop the tears and the crying. He tried damned hard but the pain and anguish won out and he could not keep it in anymore.

His mind skipped back to a time where he was loved and cared for. A time when his mother would comfort him. A time when all would be well again if he just laid in her lap and she brushed through his hair.

With no conscious thought of his actions Sam moved and laid his head in her lap. All he knew was he needed comfort. He needed release from his pain and insecurities. He needed to feel loved and cared for. He needed a mother's touch. The hand on his head was offering that and he accepted it.

Anastasia was surprised when Blondie shifted and laid his head in her lap. Tears prickled at the backs of her eyes when she felt Blondie shutter and then relax a bit as she continued to gently card her fingers through his hair.

She let her mind work on the problem as she gave him comfort. She ran through everything she had seen in relation to Blondie.

He was shy to talk to them at the bar. He said it was a long time in the field. Blaze looked pissed off on the tarmac. He was guiding Blondie, sheltering him almost. Matt was holding him.

Intuition brought an idea to mind. Blondie had been with Julie. Could Julie have done something? She had known Julie for a few months. She was aggressive when she wanted something. It was clear that Julie wanted Blondie. Julie found him attractive. He was built and he had good looks.

Quietly she asked "Did Julie hurt you?"

Sam froze. The words invaded the little insular world he had built seeking comfort. Sam sat up and pulled back rapidly scrambling to the head of the bed. The wall stopped his backward motion. This was not his mother. Panicked eyes sought escape.

"Shhhhh. It's okay I'm not going to hurt you" Anastasia said in a soft calm voice.

She didn't move from her spot. Blondie clearly was disoriented. He was spooked like a wild animal and she needed to remain cool and collected if she did not want him running away. She waited for him to calm.

His breaths were rapid and erratic. Slowly the room came back into focus. Sam's eyes landed on Anastasia. He slumped on the bed and dropped his head into this hands "Ah crap."

Would he ever be able to live down the humiliation he felt? Sam didn't think so. He wiped at his eyes to dry his tears. He had been crying in front of her. Hell he had his head in her lap. How did he get there? Fuck! He was so fucking messed up.

Anastasia decided she needed to connect on a deeper personal level. She would use his real name "Sam it's okay. Truly."

Sam looked up at the use of his name instead of call sign. He saw only acceptance. No pity. No derision. No mocking.

He blew out a breath he didn't realize he was holding "I'm sorry." Damn he was apologizing yet again.

"Did Julie hurt you?" she asked again.

It was asked in such a calm way Sam found himself answering "Yes, no, yes … It wasn't her fault."

Anastasia was surprised again that he actually answered her. She kept her tone the same and asked "What wasn't her fault?"

Sam could not look at her and so turned his head. But he answered "The look of horror and pity. It wasn't her fault. Anyone would react that way."

"Horror and pity at what? What made her look that way Sam?" she queried hoping he would answer.

"Me" Sam said as he unconsciously rubbed at his chest. He pulled his knees in close in a protective gesture.

She watched the body language. He was rubbing his chest. Sam was closing off. Julie had a thing for chests. A wild idea formed in her head. It was a long shot because she really did not know what the issue was but she would try this and see where it went.

Anastasia pulled off her t-shirt and sat there in just her shorts and bra. She pointed to three white scars. First she traced the one that started just below her collarbone on the right side that was about six inches long. Then she traced the one that went from her ribcage on the right side to the hip on her left side. Lastly she pulled her shorts down a little to show that the third one went from her navel to her pubic area.

Softly she said "Do you see me differently now or am I the same person?"

Sam stared at the scars as Anastasia traced them. They were terrible. They were life threatening wounds. She had survived and been left with the scars. His eyes sought hers. She smiled gently at him.

He could form no words to answer her.

Anastasia saw his difficultly and said "These are only skin deep. They are not a reflection of who I am inside. They are a reminder that I was strong enough to survive that is all."

Her voice dropped a shade as she added "My fiancée went into a drunken rage three weeks before our wedding when I was twenty. He thought I was cheating on him with his best friend. I wasn't."

"I was holding our baby at the time he attacked. I tried to protect Colten but he was ripped from my arms. Colten died because his father threw him against a wall in his rage."

"Then he came after me with a knife. He kept telling me he loved me as he sliced me open and then he left me for dead. He was so drunk he lost control of the car and drove off a cliff killing himself."

Sam was stunned and no words would come still. What Anastasia openly shared was heartbreaking. She lost a child at the hands of the child's father. A man she was going to marry killed their child and tried to kill her too.

Those scars would always be with her and remind her of that horrific day; of that painful loss and betrayal. If anyone could understand what he was going through she might.

Sam's hands reached down and gripped the bottom of his t-shirt and he slowly pulled it up.

Anastasia was shocked beyond belief at what she saw as Sam slowly lifted his shirt. Her heart broke for him. Julie would have freaked. Anastasia kept her face devoid of emotion. Julie's horror and pity had hurt him. She would not hurt him.

His voice so soft and unsure Sam said "I was tortured for three months. They liked to use a thin whip and burning needles among other things. My back is worse than my front."

She scooted closer, reached out and finished pulling his shirt off. She took Sam's hand and guided it as she had him trace her scars. Then she gently asked "May I touch you?"

A single tear dripped from Sam's eye as he nodded slightly.

Lightly she traced a few of the longer scars. She moved closer still and kissed his cheek. Anastasia gently pulled Sam into an embrace. She held him as she felt his body begin to tense and start to pull back "Shhhhh it's okay. You are going to be okay. Let me help you through this."

One hand began to gently massage his back. She could feel the scars. Even without seeing them she could tell that they were indeed worse than the front. This young man had been through hell. He survived torture for three months. No wonder his unit buddies were so protective.

As she held him she could tell when he began to relax a little. She lightly kissed his neck and moved upwards until she found his lips. Soft and slow she began kissing him. Inside she smiled when he started to kiss her back. He was a good kisser.

When his hands started to brush her body lightly like a feather she did smile. She allowed her hands to roam all over his back, kneading and touching. He reciprocated. When his tongue darted into her mouth she was pleasantly surprised.

Sam closed his eyes and kissed her. His hands brushed along her back. They found her bra clasp and without thinking he flicked it open. He swept her bra off as he moved to lay her down on the bed. One hand came forward and began kneading her breast. He heard a soft moan.

He felt a part of him stir that he had been afraid no longer worked. It did. Thank god it still did. A small moan escaped him.

Anastasia allowed Sam to lay her down. His hand came to her breast and she could not contain the small moan. His hand was skillful. His kissing was driving her wild. She felt herself get wet. She wanted all he could offer her but she would let him lead the way and if he pulled back she would just have to deal with it. This was not about her, it was about helping him.

She felt him harden and heard him moan. He leaned in close to her and moved his hips slightly. Oh god yes! Her hips responded in kind. Her hands found their way to his boxer covered ass and pulled him closer, pressing him to her letting him know she was interested.

Sam slipped his hand lower. His fingers felt the scar that went from her navel to her nether regions. His hand slipped into her shorts and under her panties. She was wet. She was turned on by him. He slipped his fingers in and heard her moan as she arched her back.

His thumb found her nub and he rubbed it. Anastasia moaned under him and then as he touched the right spot she begged "ah ah ah ooooh please."

He felt his boxers being pushed down. She wanted him. Anastasia had seen his scars and still wanted him.

Sam removed his hand and looked into her eyes "Are you sure?"

Anastasia breathed out "Yes, yes oh god yes."

Sam rolled off and went to the closet. He rummaged in the pocket of his jeans for the packets Patch had handed him. Thank god they were still here.

He turned and saw that Anastasia had shed her shorts and panties and lay naked waiting for him. The look on her face was one of want and desire. She smiled and beckoned him seductively with one finger.

Sam dropped his boxers. His manhood stood proudly erect when unleashed. Sam strode to the bed and covered her. He kissed her deeply. He built them both to the fevered pitch then using his teeth ripped open the condom.

Anastasia took it from him and slowly rolled it on. God he was built. He was an Adonis. She opened for him.

Sam drove in, need took over and his body did what nature had designed it to do, give and get pleasure. He slowly drove them both to the pinnacle. It was neither overly fast nor lovingly slow. But it was what he had needed.

As he groaned out his release his body shuddering with the force of his orgasm he collapsed and rolled to the side taking Anastasia with him.

Anastasia was panting and trying to get her breath back after the shattering release she had just had. Sam had taken her to heights she had rarely been. He hit that special spot. He ensured she was right there with him all the way, making sure she climaxed as he did. It was breathtaking.

She looked down into beautiful blue eyes that were smoky with after sex haze. Anastasia kissed him and snuggled into the crook of his neck. She reached out and brought the sheet over their sweaty bodies.

Sam gently stroked her back and whispered "Thank you."

Anastasia's response was a light kiss on his chest as her hand slowly massaged his chest.

Both fell into a sated and exhausted sleep within minutes with Sam wearing nothing but a small lopsided grin.

.

* * *

 ** _AN:_** _I know it is not Jules but she is not in his life at the moment and Sammy needed help. Please let me know if I did it justice._


	29. Admiration, Wishes, Dressed Down, Shorin

**Admiration, Wishes, Dressed Down, Shoring Up, Never Change, Ribbing** ** & Asking Too Damned Much **

* * *

**_Hotel Makhachkala – Luxury Suite – Main Room_**

Matt quietly opened the door for the luxury suite. He had slept but not well. He was worried about Sam and wanted an opportunity to speak with him privately before the rest of the guys started gathering for the mission briefing in an hour.

He could tell that Sam was weighed down by everything. His brother could not bear the weight of the loss of two more little girls. The loss of Sara nearly broke him, hell it had broken him. Matt knew that Sam would feel it was his responsibility if he could not pull off acting like Maks and the girls died.

Matt wasn't sure what he was going to do but he knew he needed to do something. All the work he, Sam and the guys did over the last four months was in jeopardy of unraveling. All because of some little brown haired bitch. He wanted to ring Julie's neck for what she did to Sam.

Well to be truthful he wanted to ring the General's neck too. What the hell was the man thinking to send his son on this type of mission? Hadn't he seen the scars? Wouldn't he know that would screw with Sam's head? It would be naïve to think a man could simply bounce back with something like that.

Matt saw Ripsaw asleep on the couch. He grinned when he thought of how Ripsaw quickly told him how Anastasia had made it easier for Sam to go to sleep. Leaving the room to go order food so Sam could change and lay down without her there was genius. Maybe they had an ally in her too.

Maybe he could confide in her and she could help ease Sam's worries and insecurities.

Silently Matt padded on the plush carpet to the closed bedroom doors. Ripsaw must be dead tired to not wake up Matt thought. Usually they all slept lightly, especially on a mission. But this one was a little different. They weren't technically behind enemy lines. So he could see that Ripsaw might sleep a little sounder.

Matt quietly opened the bedroom door intending to go in and speak with Sam. He stopped dead in his tracks. A huge smile came to his face and his green eyes brightened.

Sam was sprawled out on the bed sound asleep with Anastasia draped over him. They were both naked. He saw their clothes strewn on the floor. Then he saw two open telltale little packages on the floor and one unopened one on the nightstand next to the pain pills.

Matt quickly closed the door. He thought well I'll be damned; Sammy boy got laid after all, not once but twice. Matt went to the minibar and grabbed a water bottle. He went to the window and stared out at the Caspian Sea.

Anastasia just went to the top of Matt's admiration list. What she had done for Sam would surely help Sam in his role as Maks. He turned and headed for the chair. As he sat down Ripsaw's eyes opened.

Ripsaw met Matt's eyes. He smiled a knowing smile. Both acknowledge what happened in the other room but neither would ever remark openly on it.

Matt asked with a little smirk "Sleep well?"

Ripsaw sat up and his eyes darted to the closed bedroom door then back at Matt "Yeah, like a log. World war three could have been going on around me and I wouldn't have heard a thing."

Matt lightly chuckled "You know Sam won't buy that."

Shrugging his shoulders Ripsaw said "That's my story and I'm sticking to it. I think I'll go grab a cold shower in one of the other rooms. You okay to stay on watch here?"

"Yeah I'm good" Matt nodded.

Ripsaw stood and gave the closed door one last glance. Anastasia earned his full trust and admiration with what she did in there. What he heard her tell Blondie was heartbreaking.

Fate had finally looked kindly on their little brother and sent him the one woman that could help heal his hurt. She did something for Blondie that none of the guys would ever be able to do. She was able to show him his scars would not matter to the right woman.

Anastasia was a rare woman to be sure. She was beautiful inside and out. She was intelligent and compassionate. He knew Anastasia would be there to cover Blondie's back and help him through this mission. Ripsaw wondered if they were kindred souls and if Blondie and Anastasia would hit it off after the mission was over.

As he closed the door to the luxury suite and stood in the hall Ripsaw let his smile grow. If she and Blondie did get together he could just imagine the beautiful children they would have. All blonde hair and blue eyed.

He shrugged and thought only time would tell. Ripsaw then headed quickly for room 1501. He needed to quietly and privately let Blaze know that he could dial back his worry a bit in relation to Blondie.

* * *

 ** _General Braddock's Office_**

The door to General Braddock's office was open. Merrill had come in and out so damned many times today that he was sick of hearing the squeaking hinge. He told Merrill to just leave it open until maintenance got around to fixing it.

He was currently reading a detailed threat assessment from his analysts. He was having difficulty concentrating. He was distracted. William gave up and turned his chair to gaze out the window. His thoughts went to Samuel and the mission.

William wished he didn't have to keep what he knew from Dom. He hatred doing that. But Dom needed his head in the game and revealing what he knew would throw Dom for a loop. It was bad enough Dom was thinking his girls would be killed. But there were fates worse than death for innocent little girls.

It was kinder and better to keep Dom in the dark because he knew Dom well. Dom would go in guns blazing if he knew. Dom and his girls would all be dead. But it still bothered him.

He also wished he had asked or even ordered Mike to reveal portions of his past to Samuel for this mission. But he could not in good conscience ask Mike to do that. Parts of Mike's past were desolate and painful. He could not ask or order Mike to reveal it.

But he assigned Mike on purpose. He had many pilots to choose from. William hoped that Mike would reveal what he knew of Maks to Samuel. There was not much information on Maks other than what the society papers published and sensational journalist video taped.

William knew that Mike knew Maks personally a long time ago. Mike never shared anything other than the association but William knew that Mike had spent several years in Maks' circle of friends. William hoped Mike would tell Samuel things that might help in this mission.

Mike also was aware of Savelievich's real business too. In fact, that is how William knew about it. It was part of what Mike shared with him when he rescued Mike many years ago.

He had recalled that name when Dom told him where the girls were being held. From Mike, he knew that the bordello was only a front for a more nefarious business. That business is what scared William the most. Dom's girls were in more peril than Dom even realized.

William had so many fears and doubts about sending Samuel on this mission. But he was the only one with the looks of Maks and skillset. He wished there was another way. William knew he was putting so much on his son's shoulders with this mission.

He hoped to god it would not break Samuel. He knew his son was a ladies man. Samuel had a smooth charm and the Braddock winning smile. Samuel employed that smile much better than he ever did.

William recalled Bella telling Yvonne how Samuel was constantly inundated with girls when he smiled. Bella had also told Yvonne that Samuel did not seem to be aware of how many girls he actually attracted. That it was sweet that Samuel was so unaware of his charm.

He knew the Braddock smile could work wonders and draw women to Braddock men. That smile is what won over Yvonne. William smiled thinking of Yvonne. He needed to get home for a visit soon.

His mind quickly shifted back to Samuel. William hoped to god he was not asking too much of Samuel. Being a ladies man was one thing. But being asked to go into a bordello and possibly sleep with whores was quite another. That was not something Braddock men easily stomached. They had too much respect for women.

God he wished there was another way to get into Savelievich's place without making Samuel do something so distasteful. Maybe Samuel could find a way around it and not actually have to sleep with the women to get the intel they needed.

Perhaps Samuel's natural charm, smooth talking and smile would get him out of having to do it. God he hoped so.

William was pulled from his thoughts as he heard two women speaking in the outer office. One he recognized as Private Karla Weeks the other he did not recognize.

He wasn't one to eavesdrop but the voice he did not recognize sounded distraught when she said "Oh god it was just so horrible."

* * *

 ** _General Braddock's Office – Outer Office_**

Karla smiled "So how did the night out with the girls go?"

"Oh god it was just so horrible. You will never guess what happened?" Julie stated with a sound of distress.

"What happened? Someone wear the same dress as you?" Karla asked knowing that Julie was vain and prone to over dramatize things.

Julie shuddered "No, I'm disgusted not distraught. I met this guy. Pretty boy looks; blonde hair, blue eyes. Muscular and Special Forces too. He was so cute and so shy."

"He could barely talk to me. He introduced himself twice. Said his name was Sam. Sherry tried to butt in but I stopped her with one look. I could see she wanted him too. God I wish I would have let her have him. But no, no such luck."

Intrigued by Julie's statements she asked "Was he a brute? Did he hurt you? I know if he did the General would see him punished. The General would not allow any of his men to abuse women."

"A brute I could handle. No he was not a brute" Julie stated.

Karla was confused "Then what?"

Julie shook her head and started her tale she had told to several friends who all commiserated with her. "As I said he was so shy, he even looked over to his unit's table for support. I thought I hit the jack pot, a virgin Special Forces guy, he was so young looking. You know younger than most. He even blushed when he talked to me."

"I suggested we go to my room. I wanted to be his teacher. God he looked so hot in his t-shirt and jeans. When we got there he was so nervous." Julie snorted "All he could do was talk about guns. God he did not know how to even talk to a woman. He made no moves. So I went into the bathroom and changed into my teddy."

Her face took on a look of scorn "He was so freaked out by it he got up and went to get us two more beers from my little fridge. He ran like a scared little rabbit. I was sure then I had me a virgin. I was gonna pop his cherry so to speak. When he sat back down I made my move. He was so damned hot I was not letting him get away."

"He got all tense when I started kissing him. But eventually he started to kiss me back. I ran my hands over his chest and abs and he tried to pull away. But I held him there. Then I had to get a look at him. I was sure it would be in my top five chests. I pulled his shirt up to look at his chest."

Julie's expression was one of repugnance "He was disgusting but I felt pity for him. There is no way in hell he would ever come close to being on my list or any other woman's for that matter. His chest was disgusting. It was littered with scars. It was so ugly. No woman would ever want to touch that unless he paid them too."

She shivered like she saw something sickening "He looked like he was about to cry when I pulled away from his revolting chest. He got up and backed away from me like I did something wrong. Then he got scary. His eyes glazed over then became so angry. Just one look at his icy blue eyes scared the hell out of me. I thought he might actually kill me. But then his unit buddy knocked. He left without saying a word."

Her words dripped with disdain as Julie continued "He fell into his unit buddy's arms. I swear I heard him cry. What a wuss. His black haired buddy looked at me like I was shit. God only knows why? Maybe he has a thing for the guy. I mean he held him and put his arm around him then led him away like some child. He can have him for all I care."

Julie shuddered with a disgusted contorted sneer on her face "Yuck, just yuck. I can't believe I even kissed him. His chest was just so disgusting looking. No pretty face can ever make up for that. Ewww. Gives me the heebie-jeebies knowing I kissed him. So yeah, it was just a horrible night."

Karla stared at Julie for a moment. She did the injury reports for the Special Forces. She knew exactly who Julie was talking about. She swallowed hard trying to contain her anger.

It didn't work, Karla said very loudly and harshly "Get out Julie. Get out and never come back. I cannot be friends with someone so uncaring and despicable as you. That young man you think is so disgusting is a billion times better than you. Sam was injured in the service of his country. Those scars are badges of honor, sacrifice, courage and survival."

Julie's face changed to one of astonishment. Karla did not understand how disgusting his chest was. She defended herself and actions "But it was horrible. It shocked me. I did nothing wrong! Why are you yelling at me? He was the disgusting one."

Glaring at Julie, Karla channeled her inner General. She had witnessed General Braddock dressing down men that deserved it. He had a way with words that stung.

Karla spoke firmly and with contempt "You know, you're not pretty enough to be this stupid Julie. You're as bright as a black hole and twice as dense. I can explain it to you but I can't understand it _for_ you. The fact that you hurt Sam and mocked him makes you the lowest of the low."

"You are not fit to be pond scum. In fact, your gene pool could use a little chlorine. You are loathsome, you disgust me and you bring dishonor to the uniform you are wearing."

Karla's voice then shook with unbridled fury as she stood up and pointed at the door "Go you disgusting witch. You are just darned lucky the General didn't overhear you bashing one of his injured soldiers. He does not take kindly to that sort of thing. If he had, you'd be lucky to have a job cleaning the toilets with your tongue.

Fire in her eyes and hand now clenched at her side Karla threw one last cannon volley at Julie "And I think he might even take more offense at your repulsive words and actions because you are disparaging his son Sam Braddock."

Julie's mouth dropped open. Her eyes darted to the open door of the General's office.

Standing in the doorway was General Braddock. Ice cold, deadly blue eyes bore deeply into her.

Julie turned and ran out of the office as fast as she could, thinking the devil himself would be coming after her.

* * *

 ** _General Braddock's Office_**

William stood stock still in the doorway. He could not believe what he had just heard.

Years of training took over and he automatically closed his door.

He did not slam it like he wanted too. No he simply closed it.

He did not run after that woman and throttle her for her callousness, although a small part of him wanted too.

If it were a man he would have gone after him and slammed his fists into his face repeatedly.

But he did none of that.

What he did do was walk to his chair, slump down into it and bury his head in his hands.

He had just sent his son out on a mission unprepared to perform the necessary tasks. Why was he always screwing up so badly with Samuel? Why he wanted to scream at the top of his lungs but it came out as a choked whisper "Why?"

The weight of what he had done was crushing him.

Not only did he send Samuel into a situation he was ill prepared to handle at the moment he had sent an entire unit with him. Dom was counting on him to send the best of the best to save his daughters.

He might very well have just signed death warrants for Dom, Anna-Marie, Nicolette, Samuel, his unit, Mike and the covert ops woman.

It rarely ever happened but William began to shake as full comprehension of his decisions bore down on him.

William could not control it. Tears slipped out. Angrily he wiped at them. He was so pathetic and weak sometimes. He needed strength.

Without realizing what he was doing he pulled out his phone and dialed.

When it was answered his voice cracked "Yvonne I may have killed our son."

The tears started in earnest with ever so quiet sobs.

 _[Yvonne had just woken up not more than ten minutes ago. She heard her phone ring and smiled seeing William number displayed._

 _Her smile died on her face at the sound of William's voice, his words and the quiet sobbing "Oh William, shhhh, shhhh, shhh. Talk to me. Tell me what happened."_

 _She wished she was there to hold him. The only thing she could do was listen and let him pour out all his hurts and worries. Then she would offer comfort as best she could through the phone.]_

William could not tell her much but he gave her the gist of it and told her what that revolting Julie had said.

He listened to Yvonne as she spoke sweet comforting words; giving him strength from afar.

William held the phone tightly like a lifeline; his only tangible link to comfort. Yvonne was his backbone, the one he relied on when things became overwhelming for him. She was the only woman that understood him fully and accepted him flaws and all.

 _[Yvonne had listened and wanted to slap Julie. Some women were just so shallow, careless of a man's tender sensibilities and cruel. Normally she did not interfere with her men. But she knew Karla. She had met her several times in William's Ottawa office._

 _She was proud of what Karla did. She would contact her and find out Julie's name. Then she would seek a mother's revenge. No one hurt her son like that without some sort of repercussion. Julie needed to be taught a lesson in compassion._

 _Yvonne spoke comforting words to William. He could not have foreseen this complication. Well perhaps he should have but they were all human and occasionally they all made mistakes. She could see how William would want to send his very best unit since it was Dom's girls in danger._

 _In her soft soothing voice Yvonne said "William you know Sam. He will find a way to handle whatever mission you have sent him on._ _Sammy is resilient and you said he has his unit with him. They won't let anything happen to Sam if they can prevent it."_

 _"All your men have been well trained, that includes Sammy. Have faith in your men. Have faith in Sam, my love."]_

William was regaining control. Yvonne was right. Samuel was with his unit. Samuel had been trained. He would draw on his training to get the job done regardless of what that nasty Julie had done to him.

He dried his tears and said firmly "Thank you Yvonne. You are my sun and moon. Without you I could not be the man I am. I love you sweetheart. I will try to get home very soon."

 _[Yvonne smiled, her strong husband was back. She had shored him up again. That was her job. She was good at it and she loved being able to do that for him. He had the weight of so many lives on his shoulders._

 _"I love you too dear. I know you are needed there so come home when you can. I'll be waiting for you with open arms" Yvonne responded.]_

General Braddock hung up after a few more exchanged I love yous and a little discussion about Natalie. When he did hang up he felt strong again.

He would have faith in his men and in Samuel to do what was necessary to save Anna-Marie and Nicolette.

* * *

 ** _Hotel Makhachkala – Luxury Suite – Bedroom_**

Sam woke and felt Anastasia was still laying on him. A soft smile came to his face as he gently pushed the hair back from her face and tucked it behind her ear. He would never be able to repay Anastasia for what she did for him.

He knew it was only sex with her. That was okay. But her willingness to help him in that way was something he could never repay. She was a beautiful and caring woman even after the tragedy she had endured. It gave him hope that he would find the beauty of life that Matt was always talking about.

Anastasia blinked open her eyes and heard the unit beginning to congregate in the other room. Their laughter was nice to hear. She smiled at Sam "Sleep Well?"

"Yeah, best sleep I've had in months. No nightmares. Thank you from the bottom of my heart" Sam said as he caressed her back.

She reached up and caressed his face "You are a strong and caring young man Sam. Remember the scars on the outside are only reminders that you survived impossible odds. You are stronger for what you endured. The right woman will come along and she will not see the scars. She will only see the real you. The man inside. And that man is sweet and kind."

She sat up and said "Never change who you are on the inside Sam. He is beautiful." Then she stood and gathered her clothes "Mind if I shower first?"

Sam grinned watching the gorgeous woman walk confidently not trying to cover her scars. "Sure. I'll just be out with the guys to give you some privacy" Sam answered.

Anastasia lightly chuckled as she entered the bathroom "Oh Sam you are so sweet. I think you've seen all I have to offer."

Sam just grinned and rolled off the bed and picked up his clothes and the two condom wrappers. He threw them away. The second time was slow and tender. Anastasia made him feel more comfortable in his own skin the way she had traced his scars.

Because of her he would be able do his job. He would be able to become Maks. He would not flinch away from a woman's touch consumed with worry at being rejected. He now knew that things below worked too. So if the mission required that from him he knew he could do that too.

Sam wasn't too sure Anastasia was right about a woman ever fully accepting his scars. At least not one who did not have first-hand knowledge of what it was like to have disfiguring scars like he and Anastasia had. But he was comfortable enough with them now that he could do his job.

It wasn't like he would be looking for Mrs. Right anytime soon anyways. Being in Special Forces and with his father keeping him in the field mission after mission it didn't leave much time for that. But the occasional hook up now looked to be at least somewhat possible.

He pulled on his boxers and a pair of shorts. He started to pull on his t-shirt but stopped. Sam thought, no time like the present to begin getting comfortable without a shirt. It would help if he had to do it on this mission.

Sam tossed the shirt onto the dresser then strode to the door. He took a deep breath and prepared to open the door. He expected the guys to be merciless in their ribbing. There was no way in hell Ripsaw had not heard him and Anastasia. He opened the door and slipped into the main room closing the door behind him to give Anastasia some privacy.

* * *

 ** _Hotel Makhachkala – Luxury Suite – Main Room_**

Sam entered the room and all talking ceased. They all turned to look at him as one. Surprise was evident on all their faces. Sam just sauntered over to the table and picked up an apple and bit into it.

He chewed and swallowed as the guys just stared at him. Looking at Blaze he asked "So how did the contact go? Do we know where Maks will be going first?"

Blaze grinned. Blondie was relaxed. He was without a shirt. Damn that was good to see. Ripsaw was right, Anastasia had helped.

He said "Went well. We'll wait until you've showered and changed before we get down to business."

Sam nodded and grabbed a water bottle. He went to the only open chair and sat down. He was beginning to wonder when the teasing would start. It was a bit disconcerting that it hadn't already.

He looked to Ripsaw and asked "Sleep well?"

Ripsaw answered "Yeah, like a log. World war three could have been going on around me and I wouldn't have heard a thing."

Sam stared at him. He snorted "Unlikely."

Ripsaw shrugged and changed the subject "Blaze asked about getting that Corvette you wanted."

Sam turned to Blaze "Yeah, what was the answer?" He grinned up at Matt who was standing by the windows.

Matt answered for Blaze "Just might happen. Won't that be cool?"

Patch asked "Did you take your pain pills?"

Sam shook his head "Don't need them." He ached a little but he didn't want to become dependent on painkillers.

Patch arched a brow "You'll be taking them whether you think you need them or not. They are OTC, nothing to get hooked on."

"Damn, how do you know what I'm thinking Patch?" Sam asked.

Patch only smiled and shrugged "My secret."

Sam looked between Patch and Matt "Secret my ass. Matt tells you everything."

Matt grinned "Not everything. Just what he needs to know."

"Speaking of which" Patch said and tossed Sam half a dozen small packets. "As unit medic I figured you might need these. I hear you are running low and you know, as Maks, you might need them."

Sam let the condom packages fall to the ground and laughed heartily. Yeah that was the guys. It felt more normal now. The rest of them laughed too.

As the laughter died down Mason picked up the condom packages and stuffed them in his pocket "Your body guard will keep your supply for you Maks."

Everyone stilled and became silent when the bedroom door opened. They all smiled at Anastasia.

Anastasia stopped a moment seeing everyone staring at her. They knew. Oh well, that was okay. Her eyes landed on Ripsaw and she saw him wink and incline his head with a genuine smile. She had his approval. Actually she could read she had all of the guy's approval.

She smiled as she entered the room fully dressed but with her wet hair wrapped up in a towel. She walked right to Sam and he looked up at her with a small smile. Anastasia sat down in his lap.

Sam wrapped his arms around her as he pulled her close and laid his chin on her shoulder.

Anastasia looked at the stunned guys and quipped "What? There were no other chairs. Besides I'm his girlfriend and he likes me."

The entire room burst out laughing. The guys were so glad to see Blondie smiling, laughing, relaxed and comfortable with Anastasia.

Sam went off to shower and change while Anastasia ordered dinner for all of them to be delivered. As Sam was shaving Anastasia came in and did her makeup and hair.

The group sat down in the main room around the low table. The table was covered with maps and recon photos of the places they would be going tonight. Winds had gotten the photos by tapping into CCTV cameras. There were photos of the men that Sam was to try and locate in order to garner an invitation to the bordello.

There were also the photos of little Nicolette and Anna-Marie. Their smiling faces kept drawing Sam back to them. Those girls were counting on him.

Sam silently vowed he would not fail them. He would to do whatever was needed to rescue them. If he had sleep with whores in a bordello, as distasteful and vile that was to him personally, he would do it to save those little girls.

After they finished planning every detail and working contingency plans for tonight Blaze, Patch, Matt and Winds left to meet up with the contacts for weapons. The contacts were French so Mike was not needed because all four of them could speak French. In fact, all of them could speak French because it was a pre-requisite of being in the Special Forces.

All the others settled in to relax for the next hour.

* * *

 ** _Hotel Makhachkala – Luxury Suite – Bedroom_**

Mike found Sam in the bedroom staring out the window. He wanted to talk privately with Sam. To share some things he and the General knew about Maks. Things he had shared with the General long ago when the General rescued him. Things the General had recalled when he was speaking with Dom and he heard the location of Dom's girls.

Things not even Dom knew. He could tell the General was protecting his friend by not telling him the full truth of the matter. He kept Dom focused on the rescue and Dom's suspicion that the ransom was to draw him out to kill his girls in front of him before killing him.

Neither Mike or the General thought that was the real scenario. Part of it was. Yes the ransom was to draw Dom out and kill him. But the girls would suffer a worse fate than death. It was why it was so time critical to get the invitation to Savelievich's place too.

Mike was pretty sure it was why the General had sent him on this mission. He could have sent any pilot, but no other pilot knew what he knew. Although the General would never ask him to divulge his past in any way, Mike was one hundred percent sure the General was hoping Mike would clue Sam in on the real Maks.

To tell him about the Maks that would not be known to any but his closest friends and body guards. On the surface and for the society pages Maks was a typical ladies man and party goer; always seen with beautiful women. But that was not the real Maks. The real Maks was dark and disgusting.

With all that Sam had been through Mike decided that Sam needed to be fully prepared. Being shocked at the wrong time could spell disaster for the mission. Mike steeled himself to share with Sam. He hoped Sam would not press him hard on how he knew these details. Mike would tell Sam if he did but he preferred not to.

Mike stopped at the window and stared out too as he said "There are some things you should know about Maks."

Sam turned to Mike "I watched all the videos."

Mike nodded "Yeah those would give you a good overall perspective of how the world knows Maks. But I know things that won't be in those videos."

"Like what? Sam asked.

Sighing Mike turned to Sam "Like it looks like he drinks a lot. When in fact he always orders Vodka but it is really water. You need to tell Mason and Ripsaw that so they can go change your order each time. He only drinks what his body guard brings him. If a woman sends him a drink he finds a way to pawn it off on someone else. He's afraid of being drugged."

"Interesting. How do you know this?" Sam asked.

"In another lifetime Sam, not something I want to talk about. I think you can understand that. Just know what I share with you is truth" Mike responded.

Sam nodded "Yeah I know about not wanting to talk about the past. What else do I need to know?"

Relieved Sam did not press him for details "You're not gonna like some of this. But here goes. Maks refuses to use condoms. He likes threesomes but not with his girlfriend de jour. She is just eye candy for the press to keep up appearances so to speak."

Sam nodded "Okay, not the safest thing to do but I guess I can do that if it is called for to stay in character." He did not like Mike's body language.

Mike rubbed his temples "It gets worse. Maks makes his body guards watch just in case the girls have a weapon concealed. Don't ask me where they would conceal them because the body guards always strip the girls first."

Looking at Sam, Mike hated to tell him this next part "I used the term girls instead women Sam. Maks had perverted tastes. The younger the better and he is always on the lookout for virgins. It's what turns him on. Maks likes to deflower them. He sweet talks them, plies them with alcohol and he pleasures them then he takes them roughly."

Sam felt sick, he blew out a breath "How young?"

Sadness entered Mike's eyes "There is a reason the General chose to use Maks as a cover. Savelievich caters to men like Maks and a few other peculiar tastes."

Mike placed a hand on Sam "Maks would want Nicolette and Anna-Marie and be willing to pay a high price to deflower them before they are sold as sex slaves. That is how you will be able to discover where they are. Without Maks there is no way to get into Savelievich's bordello. It is too heavily guard and why we cannot force our way in."

Sam pulled away "Sex slavery. That is what the General thinks will happen to the girls."

Nodding Mike added "Yeah it is what the General thinks and what I know will happen to them. That is what Savelievich is really into; his fancy bordello is just a cover."

Mike struggled to tell Sam this next part. Not even the General was aware of it. It was a personal secret he had never shared with a single soul. In good conscience Mike could not allow Sam to go into this blindly. It could get Sam killed if he was not fully prepared and aware.

Mike stated flatly "There is one last thing you need to know about Savelievich. He is extremely is careful, I know from personal experience I will not share."

He took a deep breath and held it a moment then released it and looked directly into Sam's eyes.

Sam tensed up at Mike's steady gaze.

This was the absolute worst thing Mike ever had to say in his life. His stomach turned. Quietly not really wanting to give voice to it Mike's gaze never left Sam's eyes as he stated "You are going to have to prove that Maks is into young girls before Savelievich will even disclose that he has two virgin."

Sam's head and body snapped backwards like he was physically hit.

"Shit. No. No. I can't do that. I refuse to do that. No fucking way. That is asking too damned much" Sam yelled as images of innocent little Nicolette and Anna-Marie swam in his head.


	30. Help Me, Mike's Past & Mission Changed

**Help Me, Mike's Past & Mission Changed **

* * *

**_Hotel Makhachkala – Luxury Suite – Main Room_**

Sam stormed out of the bedroom with Mike following closely.

Mike said "Sam calm down." God what was he saying? Sam had every reason to rage. Hell he'd rage too if it were him in Sam's position.

"Calm down? You want me to fucking calm down? Ain't gonna happen!" Sam belted out as he paced furiously back and forth like a caged animal.

Sam could not even begin to cope with what this mission called on him to do. It was beyond repugnant. He would willingly submit himself to the needle tortures all over again before he considered doing what was expected of him in this mission. He might as well just rip out his soul now because if he was ordered to do it he would be as good as dead anyways.

Anastasia was shocked at the man in front of her. Sam was boiling mad. What the heck did Mike say to him? She could see all her efforts were unraveling. Sam was falling to pieces.

She glanced at Mike and he only turned away. Mike looked saddened and upset too. What was going on?

Anastasia looked to Ripsaw and Mason. It appeared they were having a silent communication. They knew Sam better than she did so she waited for them to handle Sam.

Ripsaw and Mason exchanged glances. Blondie was imploding and they didn't know why. Everything was kosher just a bit ago.

But Blondie was angrier than they had ever seen him and they had seen him flying into a fury before but not like this. This was a thousand times angrier than they ever saw him. It was like his head was about to explode.

Mason cautiously asked "Blondie what's up?"

Sam stopped pacing and shouted "I'm not fucking doing it! We have to find another way. I cannot do it. The General cannot order me to debase myself like that."

The door opened and Blaze, Winds, Patch and Matt entered. They felt the tension and saw the fury on Blondie's face. They heard Blondie's last statement. What the hell had the General ordered him to do?

They stopped just inside the room and closed the door as Ripsaw asked "What can't you do Blondie?"

Sam exploded "FUCK CHILDREN!"

Blazed looked at Blondie stunned at his words. He demanded harshly "Who the hell said anything about screwing children?"

His voice imbued with all the anger he felt Sam roared "MIKE!"

Sam could not stop pacing as he raged "Apparently that is the real Maks. He likes little girls; virgin little girls. The only way I'll get the location of Dom's girls is to prove that I'm into that sort of thing."

He stopped pacing and glared at Blaze. Sam's eyes were blue flames but his voice was glacier "Savelievich will require me to fuck little girls while he watches before he will even disclose he has the girls."

Having spewed that out Sam found himself completely empty. He dropped to the floor having spent everything he had on his fury.

The guys watched Sam collapse to the floor. They were frozen in place at the vehemence and power Sam had put into his words as much as by the words themselves. All they could do was watch.

Sam's voice came out rough and there was a defeated hitch to it "I cannot do that. It is asking too much. I can't do it. I'll blow my fucking brains out first."

Doing this would morally bankrupt him. Sam was damned if he did and damned if he did not. Any way Sam looked at it he was dead inside.

Either he did something that was so detestable and abhorrent to nameless innocent little girls to save two innocent girls named Nicolette and Anna-Marie. Or he condemned innocent little Nicolette and Anna-Marie to the same fate as the nameless girls. It was no win for him.

Sam looked up at Blaze with hollow, haunted, pleading eyes that were beginning to fill with tears.

His voice soft and broken Sam begged "Please don't order me to do that. We have to find another way. Any other way. But not that. I can't, I just can't. We need to find another way or Nicolette and Anna-Marie will become sex slaves. I can't live with that on my conscience either. Either way I'm dead inside."

Sam choked out as tears dripped down unheeded "Blaze I can't do it. Please … help me … please. Find another way please."

The unit turned to look at Blaze as one. Blondie was pleading for help. He was pleading not to be ordered to do it. They all knew Blondie would follow a direct order even one that was as debauched as this one. It was too ingrained in him not too follow orders even if it meant killing his own soul to save an innocent.

They were appalled by what they heard. What was being asked of Blondie on this mission was beyond all reasonable expectations.

Every last one of them began to feel fury building at Blaze. Why the hell had he not told them the full details of this mission?

Winds was the first to react. He stalked up to Blaze and got inches from Blaze's face.

He let loose a category five hurricane of words on Blaze "WHEN THE HELL WERE YOU GOING TO TELL US ABOUT THAT PART OF THE MISSION? THERE IS NO WAY IN HELL I WILL SUPPORT BLONDIE DOING THAT. FOR ONE THING IT IS SO WRONG. FOR ANOTHER IT WILL KILL HIM. HOW COULD YOU EVEN SUPPORT A MISSION THAT ASKED THAT OF ANY ONE OF US? GOD DAMMIT, I THOUGHT I KNEW YOU MAN."

Blaze waited until Winds' storm of words blew out. It allowed him time to try and quell his own anger. He drew on all his training to remain calm.

But Blaze's internal dialog was raging. How dare the General send Blondie in to do this type of mission? How dare the General not tell him about it? This was not something he could even begin to stomach.

As a Special Forces soldier Blaze had been ordered to do all sorts of vile things in the name of protecting the country. But never anything like this. There was no way in hell he could do that himself nor order one of his men to do it.

When Winds' died down and stopped Blaze stepped back and turned his eyes on Lieutenant Galloway. Coldly he stated "I was not aware of that aspect of this mission Galloway. Was it on a need to know basis?"

All furious eyes turned on Mike. They just recalled Blondie said Mike was the one that told him. Mike was the General's personal security lead. Was this a direct order from the General. If so, most of them thought they could kill the General for sending Blondie on a mission like this.

Mike found it was very hot under their intense glares.

He answered "Yes. But the General was unaware of certain aspects of Savelievich's operating procedures. It is knowledge I alone knew. I felt Sam had a right to know so he could prepare."

Matt yelled "No one can prepare for something like that! I'm with Sam, we need to find another way."

He went to Sam and gently helped him off the floor. Matt steered Sam to the couch and sat him down. Matt sat next to him and put his arm around Sam. Sam leaned his head into him.

Matt whispered softly "We will find another way Sam. I won't let the General destroy you."

Everyone but Sam, Matt and Mike were pacing and thinking now.

Mike had moved the window and stared out. Damn this was hard. Personally he wanted to kill Savelievich. Personally he could never do what Sam would have to do to save those girls.

Matt was right though, nothing could prepare a person to do that. Mike realized he should have told the General about it. Damned hindsight bit his ass again.

After several minutes Anastasia stopped pacing and calmly asked "Would that be required to get the invitation or after getting it?"

Mike rubbed his temples trying stave off the headache that was building. He gazed out the window not really looking at anything but unable to face the others. Mike answered flatly "Once Sam is at Savelievich's it would be necessary in order to get an opportunity to find the location of the girls."

Anastasia asked "Does Savelievich really watch? Is he in the same room?"

"Yes he is in the same room and he watches to make sure his clients are who they say they are. If they do not perform as expected he kills them or worse" Mike answered as he controlled a shudder.

Yeah or worse, that was something Mike did not like to think about much less talk about. His choices while drunk had landed him in a very bad situation. He had been in Savelievich's bordello before with a group of sycophants that he met in a Russian bar one night. They had invited him along. He was stupid enough to go.

Magic Mike as he was called back then was all for a good time. With all the alcohol he had consumed he was not thinking clearly. Mike learned the hard way that being drunk and out of control could get a man killed or worse. He had learned first-hand what the or worse was at the hands of Savelievich.

Hindsight sucked and Mike knew that all too well. He should have just asked where the bathroom was instead of wandering through the bordello. If he had only asked then he would not have stumbled into that room. He would not have seen what he saw.

Even in his drunken state it had shocked him. Mike had puked right then and there when he saw what was going on in that room. His puking drew Savelievich's attention to him.

Mike wished he could unsee what one man was doing. The man did ungodly things to a little girl that still turned his stomach if the images came to mind. If he had not opened that particular door Mike would not have seen a second man killed because he refused to do those same ungodly things.

If only he had asked where the bathroom was he would not have paid the 'or worse than death price' for seeing those things.

At the hands of Savelievich, Mike had found himself sold as a sex slave. He was drugged and then shipped off to some god forsaken country with a name he couldn't even pronounce. Mike had prayed every night for someone to come to rescue him but no one even knew where he was. Eventually he decided he had to escape.

If he died in the attempt that would be better than the life he was forced to live. Mike could not continue to live being forced to submit to the sick and perverted whims of the man and woman that had bought him from Savelievich. They had forced him by mostly keeping him drugged into compliance.

Mike shuddered at that memory.

But then his thoughts turned and a deep sense of gratitude entered Mike as he recalled that his family truly cared about him. They had arranged for a covert black ops unit to be sent to find him. The very thing he avoided now, his family's wealth and power, was what ultimately led to his rescue.

General Braddock had led the black ops unit that rescued him. It was before Braddock was the General. The men the General commanded were the best of the best and they located him. How they found him Mike never found out. But he was damned glad they did.

Mike would be forever grateful that the General was the one to find him in that alley. It was humiliating to be found buck naked, filthy and scared hiding in a dark alley. But when you have no other option but to try and escape and you had no clothes, you just do it, dignity be damned.

He still remembered the General's face when he found him. It was full of compassion. The General actually gave him the shirt off his own back. Then right there in the alley the General had stripped off his own pants and taken off his boxers. Braddock handed him his boxers and put his pants back on.

It was a compassionate gesture that allowed him to maintain some shred of dignity. Mike was not naked when the rest of the unit arrived in the alley. For that he was eternally grateful.

Then the General had cared for him and helped him recover.

Mike had been so scared for so long he actually jumped at his own shadow. He had also been drugged up so often he had become addicted. Mike knew he was more junkie than anything else when he was found. He owed the General for helping him get clean and kick the opium habit that had been forced on him.

General Braddock then helped him get into the military and helped him distance himself from his past. It was his salvation. If it wasn't for General Braddock Mike knew his life would have been …. No he would not go there.

Mike pushed his dark memories away. He rubbed his temples again and looked around the room.

He was at a loss for a plan. Partly because in some small way Savelievich still scared the hell out of him; it was hard to fight those inner demons sometimes. The other part was because Mike knew how well guarded Savelievich's place was.

Mike just didn't see another way to get in and get the intel they needed on the girls. It sucked for Sam.

Anastasia let her mind work on the problem. There had to be another way. Sam could not do that. He would be destroyed. After several minutes of dead silence in the room she asked "I assume in this case the children are not virgins. Maybe they have been in the bordello a while. Would that be correct?"

"Yeah it's pretty safe to assume that would be correct" Mike answered. He felt like he was revealing too much of his past answering these questions but he did anyways.

Then she asked "Do you know what Savelievich's type is? Is he into women, men or children?"

Suddenly tired and his head throbbing Mike sought out one of the chairs and slumped down into it resigned to answer any questions even if it meant revealing his Magic Mike history. Maybe one of them would come up with an idea that stopped Sam from having to go down that depraved path.

Mike answered "Savelievich likes pretty women of all sorts. The perverts are his clients."

Thinking a moment Anastasia paced back and forth. The unit guys just watched her. She stopped and smiled "I have an idea."

Sam looked up at Anastasia with a sliver of hope in his eyes "What?"

"Maks' girlfriend falls for Savelievich. I'll be all over him to provide a distraction so that you can pretend to do it. We can say that you prefer your girls to be out cold. That would be a deviant predilection sort of like necrophilia. Gross but it could work here."

Blaze looked at Mike "Do you think that would work? Would Savelievich fall for something like that?"

Mike nodded "Yeah I think he might. I remember Savelievich thinks he is god's gift to women but only the whores pay attention to him because they do it to survive. Real women find him noxious and sleazy. It would stroke his ego if someone as beautiful as Anastasia took interest in him."

Matt turned to face Sam "I know the thought sickens you as it does all of us. But could you pretend to do it without tossing your cookies Sam?"

Sam raked his hands through his hair "I don't know. Maybe. But I don't think I could leave children in that situation. I know we are here to save Nicolette and Anna-Marie. But what of the other children? Who saves them?"

Mason said "Blondie has a point. Who saves the other children? No child should be used that way."

Blaze stated "I need to contact Dom. Our mission has just changed. Not only are we are going to rescue Nicolette and Anna-Marie but we are going to shut Savelievich down for good. We are going wipe his operations off the face of this earth."


	31. Chastised, Painful Pasts, Need Matt, Dom

**Chastised, Painful Pasts, Need Matt, Dom Couldn't Ask, Security & One Crazy SOB**

* * *

 _ **Hotel Makhachkala – Luxury Suite – Main Room**_

Matt and Patch came out of the bedroom. Matt softly closed the door behind him. He and Patch looked at the assembled guys before each heading to a chair to sit down.

Ripsaw asked "How is he?"

Patch answered "Resting."

Anastasia asked "Should I go in there?"

Matt shook his head "No Sam just needs a little bit of time with Beauty."

"Beauty?" Anastasia inquired.

Mason was sitting near Anastasia and answered "What he calls his MP3 player. Music helps him sort out his emotions and process things."

Patch half chuckled "Good thing I brought the charger. I'm gonna have to make sure Beauty is always charged. I think it needs to be part of my standard kit."

"Yeah I agree Patch. We should all carry a charger in our packs too" Matt added.

Mike was sitting on the floor tucked into a corner. He had fucking blown everything to hell. Sam was a mess again all because he had not shared what he knew with the General. He had fucked up royally.

He stood up. Mike could not take the pressure of being in this room. Every single one of the men had glared at him several times and he felt the weight of the hate that flowed from them to him.

Mike stated "I'll be in room 1504 if anyone needs me before Blaze returns."

Then he headed towards the door. No one spoke to him or tried to stop him. Mike closed the door behind him and then nearly raced to 1504.

Anastasia stood and went to the window. She stared out at the beautiful beach and the Caspian Sea. Oh how she loved the sea; the open water with nothing for miles around.

She loved the gentle rocking of a boat. It reminded her of Colten. She had loved rocking him to sleep at night.

Colten would be seven now if he were still alive. She missed him so much. His life was so short. Only four months. But he was loved so much by the whole family minus his father.

Anastasia sighed. There would never be another Colten or any other children for her. Her fiancée had seen to that. Her hand rubbed the lower part of her abdomen.

His slicing had been so deep and savage she had to have a hysterectomy. He had yelled at her that he loved her so much that he would make sure she was never be able to bear another man's child and she would burn in hell.

He succeeded in one thing. The other not so much. When she died Anastasia knew she would see Colten again in heaven. Her fiancée however would be burning in hell for killing their child.

Anastasia sighed again. These were thoughts she rarely visited. This mission with helping Sam and then finding out the true nature of the man they were dealing with had stirred them up.

She looked to the corner where Mike had sat ever since Blaze and Winds left to locate Dom. She could tell he was hurting too. The guys in this room aimed there ire at him. Unjustly she thought.

Turning from the window Anastasia faced the unit.

Her voice was slightly reproachful as she said "You do know this is not Mike's fault. Everyone is allowed their secrets. He was trying to help. Can you imagine what would have happened if Sam had gone in there without knowing what he would be facing? In all likelihood he would be dead. Mason and Ripsaw you right along with him."

Anastasia moved closer to them "I don't know how Mike knows those things and I will not press him for details. We each have things in our pasts we would rather forget. Hindsight is twenty/twenty."

"I'm sure Mike wishes he had said something to the General or the Colonel. It might have changed who was sent on this mission. However, it would not change the fact that this mission needs to be carried out."

"From what I have heard from Colonel Sutton this unit is the best. Time to prove it. Instead of wasting time blaming Mike, I think it is time you all focused all your energy on the mission. You need to find a way for us to be successful in saving the girls and the other children."

Confidently Anastasia stated "Sam will come through this. From what I can see he is a survivor. Sure Sam will be bruised and battered from things he might have to do. But he will survive. Sam has all of you to make sure he does."

Anastasia headed for the door and added "I'm going to talk with Mike. When we get back I want your attitudes changed towards him. This is not his fault. Mike was only trying to help Sam." With that she left the room.

The guys looked at each other a bit ashamed of their actions.

Matt spoke first "She is right. Let's start looking at this differently and see if we can figure out other options."

The rest nodded and Ripsaw quipped "Nothing like being chastised by a woman. But in the case of Anastasia I'm willing to be chastised often. She does it with such finesse."

The guys laughed and started to pull out all the intel they had and review it for other options. Each hoped they could come up with something that would prevent Blondie from having to try his already bruised and battered soul.

* * *

 _ **Hotel Makhachkala – Room 1504**_

Anastasia entered the room quietly. She saw Mike standing at the window. His body language was defensive and rigid. She came to a stop next to him and joined him in staring out the window.

After several minutes she said "The sea is beautiful. I love open water and the gentle sway of the boat. I used to spend a lot of time on my family's yacht in the summer. My favorite thing to do was lay in the sun and just feel the rocking motion."

Mike glanced on Anastasia "Your family had a yacht?"

Anastasia smiled faintly "Not something I talk about often. But yeah, I come from a very wealthy and loving family. Yachts, vacations around the world and lots of idle time to get into trouble were the norm. Did my fair share of stupid stuff because I had nothing better to do."

Her hand went to her lower abdomen "One stupid choice changed my life significantly. There was one brief beautiful bright spot from my choice but it was followed by so much pain. Without my family I would have been lost. They saved me when all I wanted to do was curl up and die. My father especially helped me."

She placed her hand on Mike's shoulder and said "We all have made choices that in hindsight are so clearly wrong. For me I chose the wrong man. I thought I was in love. In hindsight it was only infatuation."

"If I had listened to my mother at the time I could have avoided so much pain. She could see the man I had chosen for who he really was. But I was young and had blinders on. I wish now that I had stopped to really listen to her. Three weeks before we were to be married I learned painfully who he really was."

Brushing her flyaway hair behind her ear Anastasia continued to share openly "I lost a child and nearly died at the hands of the man I thought I loved. Only the true love and care of my family pulled me out of my despair. My father arranged for me to travel the world while I recovered from the emotional wounds."

"I started to see things differently after that. I saw the suffering in so many in so many different places. Different ways of dressing, different languages but suffering was the common denominator. It inspired me to do something with my life."

Anastasia's soft voice quivered only slightly at first but got stronger as she spoke "After my infant son was murdered by his father, I couldn't go back to the idle, self-absorbed girl I once was. I vowed to do something that made a difference for the second chance I was granted. I vowed to live a life that would make my child proud. Live a life to honor the life he would not get a chance to live."

She turned and looked out at the Caspian Sea again and said "My father used his connections to get me a job with the CSIS. From there I made my way into covert ops with his connections. I rarely look back."

"I like who I am now and how I am making a difference. I am a different person now than the one who made a terrible choice and paid a horrible price for that choice. I was lucky to have family love and care for me and help me make changes."

Mike turned to Anastasia "Why are you telling me this?"

Turning back to Mike, Anastasia lightly caressed his face and said softly "I see a kindred spirit in you. I'm not sure what happened to you but I get the sense that you would understand where I'm coming from. I wanted you to know that although I do not know your particulars I see you are a man that changed through pain."

Mike's expression was part hunted and part veiled as he stared at Anastasia. He thought he was so closed off that no one would ever see that. He had carefully crafted his persona to not reveal himself to others.

He hid is regret. Mike hid his pain. And most of all he hid his stupid ill-spent youth.

But she saw through him. How the hell did she do that?

Mike swallowed hard and asked "You see that?"

Anastasia nodded and let her hand drop from Mike's face. She turned to look out the window again "I see a lot of things Mike. Once I took the rose-colored blinders off I began to see things in others."

"It is a gift or a curse depending on how you want to look at it. I choose to see it as a gift. It makes me good at what I do. It helps me ease the suffering of others in this amazing world."

Mike sighed then he lightly chuckled "I thought I was good at hiding who I was."

Smiling Anastasia stated "You are. You are very good at that Mike. Like I said, I see things others do not. I make connections others do not see."

Then in a serious tone she said "Thank you for choosing to share what you knew of Savelievich with Sam. It would have broken and surely killed him if you had not. That young man is in so much pain. His soul cannot bear more weight right now."

Striding from the window to a chair Mike sank down. He covered his face with his hands and raked his hands up his face and through his hair. A strangled groan of disgust came from him as he leaned forward. He released his head and threw himself backwards in the chair.

Mike's expression was agonized and his tone was full of self-loathing "I should have told the General. I know what Sam went through. I was privy to the information that was fed to the General."

"But once again my choices suck. I should have told the General everything I knew about Savelievich. But I wanted to keep the most disgusting part of my past hidden. I was afraid to tell the General thinking he would see me differently."

Mike ground out as he slammed his own fist on his thigh angrily "But I know better than that. I know the man he is. The General would not see me differently, he knows the man I am now."

"He saved me and the General trusts and respects me. If I had only shared with him my entire past then Sam would not be in this position. Hindsight is a bitch."

Mike turned to look at Anastasia. He had never told a soul what he was about to tell her. Mike wasn't sure why but he knew without a doubt he could trust her with his painful past. His Magic Mike past poured out of him as easily as one would pour alcohol from a bottle.

When he finished Mike felt oddly lightened. The weight he had been carrying all these years eased. The pain of it all diminished some. The empathy Mike saw in Anastasia's eyes soothed his weary soul.

Anastasia listened quietly as the raw hurt spewed out of Mike. There was so much pain. What he endured was terrible. It was something she would not wish on any living soul.

She walked to him when he finished and knelt down at his side. She lifted her hand and lightly thumbed away his tears. Tears for her were never a sign of weakness. They were a sign that the person shedding them was human and had a heart. And that they were not cold-blooded.

As she caressed his face again Anastasia whispered in a soft, dulcet tone "Kindred spirits Mike. We each have a painful past. We both have vowed to make our lives mean something. You are a good man Mike Galloway. Your past is safe with me as I know my past is safe with you. We will trust Sam's unit to come up with something that will save his soul."

A sense of tranquility settled on Mike at Anastasia's touch and her soft words. He closed his eyes, sighed and leaned into her hand. After a bit Mike opened his eyes and said "Thank you Anastasia. I did not realize what a burden I was truly carrying all these years. Shall we go back now? I need to help. I'm pretty good at subterfuge. It might help in developing a new plan."

Anastasia smiled "Another thing we have in common then Mike. We are both well versed in knowing that people see only what they want to see. It comes from how we grew up I think. Being wealthy tends to draw all kinds of people to you."

"Most people only saw our surface. That was a hard lesson for both of us I think. But we now both know that those that see the inside person are the ones we value. And we know that we can use the surface to our advantage to achieve our goals to make a difference in this amazing world" Anastasia concluded.

He pushed back Anastasia's golden locks. Her hair was gorgeous, long with a natural wave but so untamed. Mike smiled a genuine smile; the first one in many years. Here was a beautiful woman inside and out. He felt a surge of brotherly love for her.

Mike tenderly kissed her cheek and whispered "I can never repay you for what you just did for me."

Anastasia rose and said "Nothing to repay. Let's go now."

Rising Mike blew out a breath. He would be able to withstand the hate that would be spewed forth at him from the unit. Mike let his cloak drape over his inner self as they headed for the door. Mike would do all in his power to help Sam and protect his soul.

He owed the General that much and more. Mike vowed would protect the General's son with his own life if need be.

With the serenity that Anastasia had helped him gain, his mind cleared.

Mike grinned as a plan began to take shape in his head. That might just work. He could do that. He could let Magic Mike come to the forefront again. It could be a way into Savelievich's.

He would risk Sam knowing about Magic Mike.

Mike had already shared enough that with Sam's intelligence Sam would begin to put two and two together. He wasn't so sure that he would share the whole truth with Sam or the unit. But Sam would have to know enough so he would go along with the plan.

* * *

 _ **Hotel Makhachkala –**_ _ **Luxury Suite – Bedroom**_

Sam laid on the bed. Beauty was turned up loud. He needed to drown out the thoughts that kept rolling in his head. He could not do what might be necessary. Even play acting at it would be vile.

He could not understand his visceral reaction to this. Why did this hit him so damned hard? He wanted to throw up every time he thought of it. It also made him fearful. Sam could not peg where the fear was coming from.

Turning up Beauty another notch he slammed his eyes closed and concentrated on the music. Sam started to relax as the current song came to a close.

He began to listen closely to the lyrics of the next song, Hungry Like The Wolf by Duran Duran*. The first stanza started to disturb him. As he listened to the second stanza he began to sweat. By the third he was panicking and the fear was intensifying.

 _Darken the city, night is a wire_  
 _Steam in the subway, earth is a afire_  
 _Do do do do do do do dodo dododo dodo_  
 _Woman, you want me, give me a sign_  
 _And catch my breathing even closer behind_  
 _Do do do do do do do dodo dododo dodo_

 _In touch with the ground  
I'm on the hunt I'm after you  
Smell like I sound, I'm lost in a crowd  
And I'm hungry like the wolf  
Straddle the line in discord and rhyme  
I'm on the hunt I'm after you  
Mouth is alive with juices like wine  
And I'm hungry like the wolf_

 _Stalked in the forest, too close to hide  
I'll be upon you by the moonlight side  
Do do do do do do do dodo dododo dodo  
High blood drumming on your skin, it's so tight  
You feel my heat, I'm just a moment behind  
Do do do do do do do dodo dododo dodo_

 _In touch with the ground  
I'm on the hunt I'm after you  
A scent and a sound, I'm lost and I'm found  
And I'm hungry like the wolf  
Strut on a line, it's discord and rhyme  
I howl and I whine, I'm after you  
Mouth is alive, all running inside  
And I'm hungry like the wolf_

 _Hungry like the wolf  
Hungry like the wolf  
Hungry like the wolf_

Sam ripped the earbuds out. He was shaking uncontrollably and drenched in sweat now. Sam had no fucking no clue why.

The song brought flashes of images of a wolf stalking him. Flashes of fear. Flashes of humiliation. Flashes of pain. It made no sense at all.

Sam thought he smelled lime, musk and cedar. That was disturbing but he couldn't say why.

He ripped off his soaking wet shirt and staggered for the door. Sam needed Matt.

Something was driving him to security. Matt was security. If he could just get to Matt he would be safe.

Sam's hand reached out for the doorknob. He felt his heart racing. He fought for control over an intense fear.

His eyes scanned the room around him. He could swear he was being stalked by a wolf and he did not know why.

Sam had to get to Matt. Matt always saved him. Matt would protect him until his Dad got back.

Where the hell did that thought come from?

His father did not protect him. His father wanted him dead. No maybe not dead. The General did order him not to commit suicide.

The General wanted the perfect soldier though. Dying in the field would be honorable but not suicide. He would dishonor the family name if he committed suicide and that was _ALL_ the General truly cared about.

As his hand turned the knob Sam felt dizzy and disoriented and his breath was coming in erratic little gasps as the fear intensified. He needed Matt.

* * *

 _ **Hotel Makhachkala –**_ _ **Luxury Suite – Main Room**_

Mike and Anastasia had returned about ten minutes ago. Mike sat down with Mason, Ripsaw, Patch and Matt to review all the intel. He wanted to see if he could make his idea work in reality.

He was surprised when the guys all made one form or another of apology to him and said they were sorry for making him feel unwelcome. Mike had told them it was okay. It was a shock for all of them and he held no annomosity towards them for it. Then they had set to work.

Mike shared the beginning of an idea with them and they were deep into discussing it when the door to the room opened. Blaze, Winds and Dom entered. All eyes turned to them.

They watched as the newcomer, the one Matt, Mason, Patch and Ripsaw assumed was Dom and Mike knew to be Dom strode across the room.

Dominique went directly to the mini-bar and opened a small bottle of bourbon. It was William's preferred drink not his. He preferred a nice dry red wine. But after what he just learned he needed a stiff drink.

His daughters were in more peril than he had ever imagined. At first he wanted to be mad at William for not sharing the full details with him. But he had been around long enough and they were good enough friends that he understood why William had not. It would have screwed with his mind and he would have gone off half-cocked before the unit arrived.

Dom still wanted to go in there guns blazing and get his girls back but he knew that would be suicide for him and a life worse than death for his beautiful little girls. He downed the entire bottle in one swallow. Essentially it was the size of a shot, it would not impair him at all. In some ways it was symbolic.

He looked around at the men in the room and Dom noticed that William's son was missing. It made him sick to think what William's son might have to do in this mission to get his girls back.

Dominique was not above using sex in a mission. He had done it many, many times. But it was always with adults. He could not fathom sickos that wanted to do that to children.

Blaze had explained that Sam had asked them to find another way. Dom agreed whole heartedly that they needed to find another way. He could never ask Sam to blacken and burn his soul to save the girls. That was beyond what a good and righteous man could ever expect another good and honorable man to do.

Dom was willing to kill people that deserved killing. He never had a problem with that. But Dom could never ask someone to die for him. And that is exactly what he would be asking Sam to do.

Maybe not literally but Dom knew the caliber of Braddock men. Sam would be a shell, an empty husk and completely dead inside if he had to carry out what this mission expected of him. Even the potential solution of playacting it would be too much to ask of Sam.

Dom needed to tell Sam that he would not allow the mission to proceed in that manner. That they would find another way. Dom was about to ask where Sam was when the door to the bedroom opened.

Sam staggered out clutching his drenched shirt. His haunted eyes scanned the group looking for security, for Matt. Sam found Matt.

He took two steps toward Matt and his knees gave out. Sam dropped to the ground as he reached his arms out toward Matt.

Sam's voice was small and weak and almost childlike "Mattie."

Matt looked up when the door opened. Sam was drenched in sweat. It was dripping from his forehead and his chest glistened with it.

He was on his feet and jumping over the low coffee table that separated him from Sam as Sam dropped to his knees, reached out to him and call his name. Matt's heart broke. It felt like ages until he reached Sam when in reality it was a split second.

Pulling Sam close Matt said "I'm here. I'm here."

Dominique could only stare. It was rude and he knew it. The other men and the woman had turned away to give Sam and the other man a modicum of privacy. But Dom could not turn away.

He choked up. Oh hell no! Dom looked on as the man pulled Sam to him. Dom had seen Sam's chest and abdomen as he exited the room and now his eyes lit on Sam's back.

Blast and damnation! Dominique turned to the window unable to keep watching now. He was going to be sick.

Dom knew that William's son had been held captive for three months and tortured. A small confidence shared between old friends. But knowing and seeing were vastly different.

God in heaven! What he saw was inconceivable. William's son had been tortured so cruelly. The scars were fresh. The scars were so many. They covered his chest and back almost completely.

His heart shattered for the boy. Bloody hell!

Dom could not ask Sam to do this mission. What was William thinking to send his son in on this mission? The boy clearly needed more time to recover. With scars like those he could only imagine the unseen wounds.

If it was any indication the boy on the ground seeking shelter from a friend was deeply wounded.

Nightmares. It had to be nightmares. Dominique had had his fair share of nightmares. The sweat and shaking were key give aways to him that Sam had to have just woken from a nightmare.

Dom raked his hands through his hair. He could not ask so much of Sam. Even if it meant the loss of his daughters he could not ask. Dominique bowed his head and closed his eyes in prayer.

The Lord's prayer ran through his mind seeking peace with knowing what his decision not to ask for Sam's help would mean for his lovely, innocent daughters. Dominique needed to seek peace and forgiveness.

He just could not blacken Sam's soul any more than it already was.

Dominique knew the Lord would forgive him. He was not so sure sweet Jeannette would. But Dom could not kill William's son to save his own daughters.

That fell squarely into the realm of unforgivable to Dom. He couldn't ask. He wouldn't ask. Dominique knew they had to find another way.

Sam clung to Matt as he rode out the emotional storm. He knew Matt would not ask. That was good because he had no answers.

After how long Sam had no clue but his shaking began to subside. He shivered slightly as the cold air of the air conditioning blew across his sweat dampened back. The irrational and unfounded fear was beginning to recede too.

Matt held tight to Sam offering shelter and comfort. Nightmares still haunted Sam. Matt knew the best thing was to just hold him. To be Sam's anchor in the emotional storm keeping him afloat. All the guys had learned it was just best to hold on and say nothing.

The quiet and human touch always calmed Sam. Matt knew, when Sam was ready he would pull back. When Sam did, the guys also knew by now to not bring it up.

If anyone said anything Sam would be embarrassed. If they just pretended like it never happened then Sam would be good to go in short while. It took some learning and missteps but they had a system now and it worked to bring Sam back to center every time.

Sam pulled back. He looked at Matt and saw only acceptance in his eyes. Matt released him. The shaking had stopped and his heart rate had calmed. Sam closed his eyes a moment and took several calming breaths.

He opened his eyes. As he stood up Sam said "I need a shower. I'll be out in five."

Matt nodded and watched as Sam closed the bedroom door. He saw Blaze near Dom and whispering to him. Ripsaw was doing the same with Anastasia and Mason with Mike.

He sat back on his heels. That was good. The guys were passing on how to behave with Sam. How to help him maintain his equilibrium.

Matt blew out a sad breath. It still hurt so much to see Sam like that. This mission sucked. The General sucked for sending Sam on this mission.

He felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned when Winds crouched down beside him and whispered "Thank god Blondie has you Matt. You are always there for him when he needs you."

Matt nodded "He's always there when I need him too."

A grin splayed on Winds' face "Like me and Blaze. Brothers from different mothers."

Winds stood and put out a hand.

Matt took the offered hand and stood up. He looked around at the group. Together they would get Dom's girls back. They would save the other children.

And most important to Matt they would protect Sam's soul too. They would keep him safe.

* * *

 _ **Panin Savelievich's Bordello – Office**_

Panin sat in his chair with his fingers steepled and tapping his lips as he listened to Markov Yurievich as Krymov Yurievich sat nervously twitching. Panin didn't much care for these two idiots. But they had brought him some lucrative merchandise.

Markov was finishing in English "So you see we need you to sell the girls sooner than expected."

Speaking English too so his body guards could not understand Panin swiveled back and forth as he said "So your contact in MI6 has confirmed Dominique Savoy left France for Russia and is in Makhachkala now."

Krymov nodded "Ya Ya. Sell girls now. He no pay. Girl need gone." His English was not as good as his brother's.

Markov looked at his brother then to Panin "What Krymov means is that there is no way Savoy can pay the ransom as we planned. But he has come here earlier than expected to try and get his girls back. You need to sell them now. We will take care of killing Savoy."

Panin nodded "Does he have help?"

Markov smirked "No. Savoy thinks there is a leak in SAS. He has no idea who to trust. Savoy is alone in this. Too bad he does not know that the leak is actually in MI6. When he surfaces we will kill him. You just take care of selling the girls and giving us our cut of the sale."

Panin lifted one eyebrow "Your cut?"

Markov tensed "Yes our cut. As agreed. We get twenty five percent."

Shaking his head no Panin said "Het, the girls are mine in full."

Krymov understood that and started to go for his gun. Panin was trying to weasel out of the deal. He'd kill the bastard before he would let that happen.

Panin snapped his fingers. Krymov found himself on the ground in seconds flat and disarmed.

Speaking to Markov, Panin said "Be happy I did not just kill your brother. The girls are mine in full for the trouble of caring for them and the assistance in bringing their father here. You could have just killed him in France. Stupid of you to go to this elaborate setup. I can see that your dead brother got all the brains in your family."

Panin then smugly added "But I will profit from your stupidity. Now get out. Kill or don't kill Savoy as you see fit but the girls are all mine."

Markov was seething. How dare Panin renege on their deal?

He stood and headed to the door keeping his mouth shut because they were clearly outnumbered here. He would figure out how to make Panin pay. Krymov was shoved at him and Markov had to reach out to steady his little brother.

The body guard put Krymov's gun on Panin's desk.

A sardonic expression played on Panin's face "Oh I see I have a new gun for my collection."

Picking up the gun Panin aimed it at Krymov. He fired it. Then he said "A little going away present. Teach you to go for a gun in my presence. Next time it is between the eyes."

Krymov was gripping his left arm tightly as the blood seeped between his fingers. It was only a light graze but it stung like hell.

"Davayte ubirat'sya otsyuda brata. Panin odin sumasshedshiy sukin syn."  
(Let's get out of here brother. Panin is one crazy son of a bitch) Krymov whispered.

The brothers left the brothel under guard of three men. As they exited they heard Panin's laugh ringing through the bordello. Panin was truly crazy.

In their car outside the bordello Markov looked at Krymov's arm and tied a strip of his shirt tightly around it to stop the bleeding. Then he whispered "My ubivayem Panin posle Savoyskogo" (We kill Panin after Savoy).

Krymov nodded.

* * *

 _* Duran Duran lyrics are property and copyright of their owners._


	32. So Like Young William, Mambo No 5, Club

**So Like Young William, Mambo No. 5, Clubbing & Bransworth **

* * *

_**Hotel Makhachkala – Luxury Suite – Main Room**_

Five minutes later Sam opened the door to the main room. He had composed himself as he quickly showered and changed. He was appreciative of the way the guys handled him when his nightmares reduced him to a shaking and blubbering idiot. They never said a word. They treated him as if nothing had happened.

Sam knew that he was lucky to have brothers like them. He had been with so many units in the past year and a half. None of them even compared to this one. Sure other units had one or two guys that felt a strong bond in them. But none of them had seven men that had a connection like they seemed to have.

Often he wondered why that bond was formed. What was so different about this group of guys? Was it simply a twist of fate that had created this band of brothers? If it was, it was the only good thing fate had ever done for him.

Sam would give his life in a second if it saved Matt, Blaze, Mason, Winds, Patch or Ripsaw. They meant that much to him.

He pulled on one of his well-worn shields and locked his cocky mask into place as he strode into the main room. Sam registered a new person and assumed it was Dom. Sam strode directly to him and said "Dom I presume" and held out his hand to shake.

Dom looked somewhat stunned. The man walking towards him looked so much like the young William he had known years ago. He had that same cocky swagger and military bearing. Gone was the wounded soul and in its place was a confident and capable soldier. It was like night and day.

He stuck out his hand and answered "You presume correctly" as Dom shook Sam's hand.

Sam said in a confident voice that fully covered his inner turmoil "We will get your daughters back Sir. I promise to do all in my power to bring them out safely."

Dom blinked and nodded. Sam was so like his father. He almost wanted to confide in Sam that he knew and worked with his father back in the day. But William said it was best if he did not reveal his connection to Sam. William's relationship with Sam was strained at best.

He understood William's concern and so Dom simply answered "We will get my daughters and the other children and shut down this depraved man."

Sam nodded then turned to the guys "Any ideas?"

Matt had a small smile seeing confident Sam back, even if it was only a mask. Matt could see right through the masks. The others were starting too. Patch mostly because Sam could be honest with Patch about his medical status. The rest because of the how hard they all worked to get Sam back into fighting shape over the past few months.

Sam had been so emotionally wounded that his shields had been non-existent at times. As a result, each of the guys had seen the real man behind the curtain so to speak. It had created a deeper bond between all of them. For Matt it was like a family he never had before and he would do anything for any one of them but especially for Sam.

The last months had been horrific and painful, but also good. Matt was so glad that Sam had the guys in his corner. They all truly accepted that he was a capable man but so hurt underneath. It seemed to bring out their protective natures. Sam truly had become their beloved little brother. The brother every one of them would fight to defend and protect.

Often Matt thought that with a father like the General, Sam surely needed them. What was General Braddock thinking to send Sam on this type of mission so soon after the torture?

The thought of father made Matt almost smile. Sam was little brother to all of them except Blaze. It was clear to Matt that the relationship building between Blaze and Sam was more of a father/son relationship whether either of them recognized it yet. It might have something to do with Blaze already being more of a father to his sister and Sam's need of a caring father figure.

Matt was pulled from his musing when Mike answered Sam's question of any ideas with "We have some, but it means making a few changes."

Sam strode over to a chair and sat "What kind of changes?"

Mason said "Mike expanded on Anastasia's idea but also has a different element."

Blaze said "Let's hear it then."

Mike stood a little rigid, his defenses going up at revealing more of his past "Anastasia had a good idea to distract Savelievich but it has to be believable. Maks has to be ignoring her. I think the way to do that is to have Maks have a friend with him that is urging him to sample the local fare. Since I knew Maks at one time, a long time ago, I think that should be my role. It has been eons but perhaps two old friends meet up in a club and begin to hang out."

"The added benefit is that Sam will have additional support in the club and in Savelievich's place" Mike said quickly trying to give focus to something other than him knowing Maks.

The guys all rolled around the thought wondering just how Mike knew Maks. But they decided to focus on the mission. Matt, Ripsaw, Patch and Mason also let Anastasia's words echo in their heads 'everyone is allowed their secrets'.

Winds asked "So does Maks meet you at a club or in this hotel?"

Mike responded "I discussed it with the guys while you were out. Probably best if we meet at a club. It would lend credence to Sam being Maks if I saw him in a club and called him Maks. Sam looks a lot like Maks but … there are differences. He's younger for one thing. The darkness of the clubs should help with that though."

Sam was listening and he offered "Perhaps Maks is being self-indulgent to begin with and ignoring Anastasia. Perhaps he leaves her to ride to the club with his body guards and goes off in the corvette with his driver."

Anastasia sauntered over to Sam and fake pouted "Paradise lost. Maks is ignoring me."

Sam grinned at her "Nah Paradise Lost is heavier. Read it once, lots of fire and brimstone."

Anastasia looked at him "Deep reader?"

Sam shrugged "It was in the library and I was on restriction. It was either read that or spending more time studying Xerxes the Great. Already had my fill of military strategy that day so …." Sam trailed off.

He didn't like talking about his academic past much. The private tutors, especially Corporal Duffy, had provided him an education worthy of the top prep schools. He and his father had gone round and round about whether he should accept the scholarship to Yale or the Royal Military College of Canada. His father wanted him to do either one of those but preferred the RMCoC. The General wanted him to join the Army as a commissioned officer. But all he wanted to do was join the police. So he declined both and went to the Toronto Police College instead.

As Sam engaged in conversation with Mike and the others Matt caught Blaze's eye and inclined his head towards the windows. Then he moved there himself.

Blaze tapped Winds on the shoulder to signal Winds should take-over for him, that he would brief with him on anything he missed later. Then Blaze moved to the window. "What's up?" he asked Matt.

Matt spoke quietly "Sam is too tense and military rigid. He needs to loosen up to be able to pull off being Maks."

"What do you suggest?" Blaze asked knowing Matt would not pull him aside without having a plan.

Matt glanced at Sam and said "Give me a half hour or so to drive him around before we arrive at the first club. I have an idea of how to loosen him up."

Blaze eyed Matt wondering just what he had planned given he was being a bit evasive in his answer. But Matt knew Blondie the best. He nodded "Okay, but Mason and Ripsaw with Anastasia will follow. I don't want you two out there without protection. Since you are not going into the clubs you will need to be armed."

Grinning Matt nodded and said "Got it. I promise not to lose Ripsaw but tell him he's gonna have to put his driving skills to the test to keep up."

Patting Matt's shoulder Blaze teased "Just remember we have to return that Corvette in good condition."

Matt's grin only got wider. The two of them rejoined the final planning session.

* * *

 _ **In the Corvette**_

Twenty minutes later Sam and Matt got into the Corvette. Matt grinned at Sam and pulled out his MP3 player and connected it to the stereo system. He cranked it up as _Get Your Motor Running_ blared from the speakers.

Matt clicked his seatbelt and then said "Buckle up Sammy. Time for a little fun."

He floored it and the Corvette sped away from the hotel. Matt started singing along with the music at the top of his lungs as he deftly maneuvered the Corvette in and around the cars and headed in the direction they had all agreed on. They would take a trip outside of town where traffic was sparse. Ripsaw did his best to keep up but Matt and Sam were soon quite far ahead of them. However, Matt maintained visual of Ripsaw in the rear view mirror as promised.

Matt's lighthearted singing caused Sam to smile. Matt was such a goof sometimes. One song after another played and before long Matt had Sam singing along as the sped along the roads. Near the end of the half hour Sam was feeling much looser.

They were stopped at a light as Matt grabbed his MP3 player and selected a specific song. He looked at Sam and said "Time for the Sinner to come out and play Sammy."

He flicked play and grinned as he sang along with Mambo No. 5 by Lou Bega*.

" _One, two, three, four, five  
Everybody in the car, so come on let's ride  
To the liquor store around the corner  
The boys say they want some gin and juice  
But I really don't wanna  
Beer bust, like I had last week  
I must stay deep, 'cause talk is cheap  
I like Angela, Pamela, Sandra and Rita  
And as I continue you know they're getting sweeter  
So what can I do? I really beg you, my Lord  
To me flirting is just like a sport  
Anything fly, it's all good let me dump it  
Please send in the trumpet_

 _A little bit of Monica in my life  
A little bit of Erica by my side  
A little bit of Rita is all I need  
A little bit of Tina is what I see  
A little bit of Sandra in the sun  
A little bit of Mary all night long  
A little bit of Jessica here I am  
A little bit of you makes me your man"_

Matt kept singing and watched Sam's face as he got into the Sinner mode. Yes this was serious work they were doing here with significant impacts. But Sam needed to be in playboy mode rather than soldier mode if he was going to pull it off.

As the song ended Matt pulled up to the first club entrance and put the Corvette in park. First he checked to see if Mason and Ripsaw were behind them. They had found parking very close to the front. Matt made eye contact in the rear view mirror with Ripsaw and nodded. He watched Mason exit and open the door for Anastasia.

Matt then looked at Sam. He grinned seeing the Sinner clearly out and ready to play. Sam's whole carriage was different. His body was relaxed and moved fluidly. But most importantly that devilishly handsome smile that reeled in women was solidly on his face.

Sam looked at Matt and gave him a lop-sided grin "Thanks Saint."

"Anytime Sinner" Matt responded with his own smile.

* * *

 _ **Outside the Barracuda Club**_

Sam waited until Mason arrived and opened the Corvette door and Sam languidly got out. He assumed a bored playboy look and his body language mimicked what he had seen in the videos of Maks.

Anastasia assumed a pouting face as Sam ignored her. They were beginning to set the stage. She tried to cling onto Maks but Sam sloughed her off. She was amazed at Sam's transformation. He was totally in character. Whatever Matt did had worked like a charm.

Sam approached the doormen not bothering to wait in the line that formed to get into the club. He eyed the doormen with an air of privilege and superiority. Using the same inflections in tone as he had heard Maks use, Sam said "Я предполагаю, что вы знаете, кто я." (I assume you know who I am)

The doorman looked at him then looked to the other doorman unsure.

Immediately the other doorman smiled "Добро пожаловать. Входите т Геннадьевич." (Welcome. Come right in Comrade Gennadiyevich)

As the door was opened Sam, Anastasia, Mason and Ripsaw moved forward and entered.

When the door closed the first doorman turned an astonished eye on his partner "Это был Maks Геннадиевич. Maks говорил со мной. Вау. Вы видели, что великолепный блондинка? Maks получает все дамы."

(That was Maks Gennadiyevich. Maks spoke to me. Wow. Did you see that gorgeous blonde? Maks gets all the ladies.)

"Я был более впечатлен этим телохранителя. Он настолько огромен, что заставляет нас выглядеть карликов."  
(I was more impressed with that body guard. He is so huge it makes us look like dwarfs) the second doorman chuckled.

* * *

 _ **Inside the Barracuda Club**_

Mike saw Sam enter and was impressed by the change. Gone was all military bearing and in its place was the bearing of the privileged jet-set playboy. That was something he knew the General would never be able to pull off. The General was too rigid to let loose like that.

But Sam, well now, if Mike didn't know better he'd think Sam had lived the life he was portraying. He watched Sam turn the heads of all the woman as he made his way to a table. Mike smiled as Anastasia played up her pouting and irritation at being ignored by Maks. This just might work.

Mike waited where he was. He needed to let Sam be seen before approaching him. Let Sam begin to draw attention to himself.

Sam found what he was looking for; a table with a very young looking woman at it and several open seats. She didn't appear to be much older than eighteen if even that. Although he wasn't so good about judging woman's ages.

There had been that incident with Major Pearce's daughter, Mercy Pearce. She was only seventeen but had a fake ID stating she was twenty. After all the latrine duty he was assigned for taking her to a bar Sam learned to stay away from the brass's daughters regardless of their age.

So this woman could be either older or younger than she appeared to be. But looking so young, it would set the stage for his supposed tastes. Sam sauntered over with Anastasia, Mason and Ripsaw in tow.

"Имейте в виду, если мы сидим с вами?"  
(Mind if we sit with you?) Sam asked turning the wattage of his smile up a notch as he moved in close enough to the woman to kiss her if he desired.

He was so close her he saw her eyes dilate as she recognized who he was pretending to be and heard her nervous and excited intake of air. Hook set, now time to reel her in.

She smiled "Пожалуйста. Я Табакова" (Please. I'm Tabakova.)

Sam sat down and then ordered vodka for himself and Anastasia and a refill of whatever the woman was drinking. Then he engaged in conversation with the young woman.

Mason followed the waitress and when she placed the order with the bartender he beckoned the bartender over and spoke the Russian words Mike had drilled into him "Заменить водку с водой. Я избавлю его Maks." (Replace the vodka with water. I will deliver it to Maks.)

He waited for the three drinks, watching the bartender carefully to ensure nothing was added to the waters. Mason then headed back to Blondie. The kid had surprised him. This was a side he had never really seen. Sure he knew Blondie was smooth with the ladies but not quite like this. It bothered him a little bit to see how quickly Blondie assumed the persona of Maks.

It made him wonder how much Blondie still hid from them. Did he really know the real Blondie? Mason pushed that thought away quickly. Yeah he had seen the real Blondie. What he saw he liked and also made him sad. Blondie had too much pain in his life.

Mason set the drinks down and then assumed his bodyguard position. His and Ripsaw's eyes were scanning the crowd looking for any of the contacts they needed to make in the clubs.

Sam spoke with Tabakova in fluent Russian and was wowing her. She asked him to hit the dance floor and Sam knew he had to. That was one part of Maks he didn't think he would pull off convincingly. He was a horrible dancer. Luckily it was a slower song so he could get away with just pulling her close and swaying.

Anastasia pulled Ripsaw to the dance floor speaking in Russian knowing that Ripsaw would not understand but those around would and things she said did not require a response from him. She was complaining how Maks was ignoring her and going after someone younger. She did this for two reason, it set Sam's cover and because they needed to stay close to Sam to protect him. She had promised all the guys she would make sure one of them was within arms distance of Sam at all times.

Mason stayed at the table and continued to scan and to watch over the drinks. The last thing any of them needed was for Blondie to get drugged. With the way he reacted to morphine, they could blow their cover in a heartbeat if Blondie reacted the same way to something else that might be slipped into his drink.

Mike decided to make his move on the dance floor. It would draw the most attention. He stood up from the table he had been sitting at and grabbed the hand of the woman he had been conversing with. He spun her out to the dance floor as she smiled at him enthralled and captivated by the handsome foreigner. As he danced, Mike moved them closer and closer to Sam.

He spotted one of their marks. Mike noticed that Anastasia, Ripsaw and Sam had made the same man. All of them moved in rhythm to the music closer to the mark.

Mike spun his partner around so he could come face to face with Sam. He stopped and affected a look of astonishment. Then he blurted out "Maks мой бог это ты. Это было так давно."  
(Maks my god it is you. It's been so long.)

Sam's expression was one of bored curiosity but then he brightened it as he called back loudly "Mагия Mike. Ничего себе, я думал, что ты упал с миром. Прошло лет. Что ты здесь делаешь?"  
(Magic Mike. Wow I thought you fell off the world. It has been years. What are you doing here?)

Mike wanted to cringe at the term Magic Mike. But he had whispered to Sam to use that term when addressing him in Russian but to leave it off if it was a language the others in the unit knew. He did not explain why and Sam thank goodness did not ask him to.

The two of them exchanged conversation in Russian and moved off the dance floor together with the women. They both noticed that their mark was paying close attention to their conversation. Mike and Sam began to lay the ground work. Sam asked Mike if he knew where he could find the type of entertainment that could not be found in the clubs, a younger set.

Mike shrugged and told Sam that it had been a very long time since he had been to Makhachkala. But then he recalled that there might be this private club that catered to what Maks was looking for. It was called the Cherry Club. But then he sighed and said it was invitation only and he doubted the owner would remember him after all these years.

Anastasia and Ripsaw had followed them to the table so it was well established she was with Maks. After some time Anastasia approached their mark when she saw he was hanging on every word. She smiled and ran her hand down his arm. Then she asked him to dance. As expected the mark started to ask her about Maks.

She sighed and pouted and said that he was tiring of her and it was time she looked for a new playmate. That Maks was into younger women and she was feeling old and left out. The mark fell for it and Anastasia also plied him for information without the man realizing it.

An hour later Sam and Mike started to head out. In what was orchestrated to appear as an afterthought Sam retrieved Anastasia from their mark and told her they were moving onto another club. She kissed the mark and said she'd hoped to see him again.

As they left Sam whispered to Anastasia "You had his tongue hanging out wanting you."

She smiled sweetly and hung onto Sam's arm as she whispered back "No so bad yourself. I thought that girl was gonna faint dead away when you approached her and leaned in close like that. You're smooth."

Sam thought as he headed to the Corvette that he had Matt to thank for getting him in the Sinner mode. He was working and he knew what he was doing was deadly serious. But Sam had had some fun too acting without abandon and completely shaking the exterior soldier mode.

The group hit three more clubs and repeated nearly all of it except the reunion of Maks and Mike. Now they were old buddies out for a good time club hopping. Each time they moved between clubs Sam enjoyed a short decompression with Matt in the Corvette. Matt had at least one or two songs that recentered him and kept him in the Sinner mode.

* * *

 _ **Hotel Makhachkala – Luxury Suite – Main Room**_

Six extremely exhausted people entered the suite at four am. They all crashed into chairs in order to debrief from the night. Blaze, Winds, Patch and Dom had coffee and food waiting for them.

The four had not been idle tonight either. Blaze said "Hope things went well for you. Our surveillance of Savelievich's Bordello, the Cherry Club, netted visuals of three of the marks. Based on Dom's description we also spotted the Yurievich brothers. They appeared to be staking out the bordello. We did not approach."

Winds added "One of them was injured. He was very careful with one arm."

Sam raked his fingers through his long hair. He so wanted to cut it off. When they were all done with this sickening mission he would do just that. It would help him shed the disgusting feeling of playing Maks.

Patch handed Blondie two pain pills and said "No arguments. You need to stay on top of it. You've been on your feet most of the night."

Sam took the pills and then washed them down with iced coffee. He gave Patch a small grin "Thanks. I could've used these several hours ago."

Matt looked at Sam and shook his head. Then he looked at Patch "Tomorrow I'll take some with me."

Patch nodded then said "I think we should download after Blondie gets some rest."

"I'm okay" Sam protested.

Blaze looked at Blondie and said "That may be true but Patch is in charge of unit health and if he says to debrief later then we debrief later." He looked at the guys and everyone except Blondie nodded.

Anastasia stood up and took Sam's hand "Come on. Time to hit the hay."

Sam did not resist. He followed Anastasia willingly into the bedroom. His feet were aching badly and he was very tired and the unit was solidly behind Patch that he should rest. So rest he would.

After the door closed Matt said "I'll stay here tonight in case Sam needs me. Tonight had to be exhausting for him pretending to be that depraved bastard."

The rest of the unit nodded and all headed out seeking their beds and some much needed sleep. Each took a covert glance at the bedroom door and hoped that Blondie would come out of this mission with his soul intact.

* * *

 _ **Colonel Sutton's Office – Outer Office – 0550 Hours**_

Major Plouffe approached Private Bransworth. He was assigned to the Colonel's office about two weeks ago. He was the Colonel's glorified coffee boy. He needed a mole in the Colonel's office like he had Merrill in the General's.

So far he had been able to structure things that got around the problems. But it would be much easier if he had someone like Merrill here. Especially after all the scrutiny when his toy soldier was rescued. He was damned lucky the toy soldier did not remember Murphy's part in his capture.

He approached the desk and assumed his false smile and said "Private Bransworth, I'm Major Plouffe. I'm in charge of deploying the units on missions. We will be working closely as you handle the paperwork and reports from the units."

Bransworth looked from the computer screen up to the Major. He was busy doing research on section Y6 for the Colonel. He quickly blanked the screen so he did not inadvertently share critical information.

The interruption of his work meant he might be late getting the file to the Colonel and he was not too happy about that. The Colonel needed to review the file before handing it off to one of the Intelligence Operatives working that sector. Sadly, information on that sector was sparse and really needed.

Bransworth read people easily. There was something smarmy and off with the Major. His smile was not reflected in his eyes. It was false. What he read in his eyes was derision, contempt and superiority. He instantly wondered how the hell the Major was in Special Forces.

He had taken the Colonel's measure just as quickly as he took the Major's. The Colonel was a good man that truly cared about the men in his command and what they were fighting for in this godforsaken country. The Colonel in turn had recognized his aptitude for research and his insights in very short order. He was given highly classified research assignments by the end of his first week.

But that remained between him and the Colonel. To the rest of the office and everyone except the General, he was nothing more than a new coffee runner learning the ropes. It was a needed ruse. They could not be too careful with intel. It could impact the soldiers and get them killed if anyone knew mission details.

Private Bransworth answered informally because that is how he was addressed by the Major "Major that is good to know. But for now I'm mostly relegated to getting the Colonel's coffee. I'm just learning the ropes in this office and I have nothing to do with unit reports yet."

Plouffe continued to smile "Such a menial task for someone of your training."

Bransworth shrugged and said "The Colonel is an important man with an important job. I don't see it as menial task. It is a better use of resources Sir. If me taking my time to bring him coffee lets the Colonel stay on task it is not a menial job. It is me doing my part to have an impact on terrorism around the world."

Plouffe decided to test Bransworth further and stated "I need to know the whereabouts of Lieutenant Blain's unit."

"Sir I do not have that information to share with you. As I said I have nothing to do with reports yet. And even if I did, I would need authorization from Colonel Sutton to disclose that information" Bransworth responded formally.

The smile dropped from Plouffe's face. Shit. He was faced with an idealist, rule abiding little yokel. Perhaps he would approach Bransworth again in a few months when the newness of being a coffee errand boy wore off. Bransworth might be more pliable by then or he may have dug up some dirt on him that he could use to blackmail him.

Plouffe turned and strode out without another word.

Bransworth watched the Major go and smiled seeing the back of him. He could tell his words hit their mark. That Major was full of himself if he thought he could get him to break protocol and give him classified data.

Not that he knew where Blain's unit was; officially they were classified as on vacation. But Bransworth was smart enough to know that something off the books was happening. And it was fully sanctioned by both the General and the Colonel. If they sanctioned it, it must be right and important because both those men epitomized honor and duty to country.

Bransworth turned on the computer and quickly finalized his notes and printed them out. He stood and went to the file cabinet. He pulled out the intel file on section Y6 the Colonel had requested be on his desk at 0600 hours. He added his research notes to the file. Then Bransworth picked up the coffee that was on the edge of his desk too.

* * *

 _ **Colonel Sutton's Office – 0600 Hours**_

Entering the Colonel's office he placed both the file and the piping hot coffee on the Colonel's desk. He set his watch alarm for one hour to remind him to get the Colonel a refill. He came to attention and saluted when the Colonel entered.

Sutton said casually "At ease Bransworth." Then he picked up his coffee and saw the file on his desk. He took a small sip and the coffee was perfect.

He smiled and said "Thanks Bransworth. Not sure what I did without you before."

Colonel Sutton sat down and opened the file. He quickly scanned the research notes and then looked up at the Private "Young man you are going places with research like this."

Bransworth grinned, "Thanks Colonel. If you have any questions on my research I'll be at my desk unless there is something else you need."

"Nothing right now Bransworth" Sutton said as he began to delve deeply into the file.

He wanted to know it inside and out before speaking with Suhail Yusuf. Getting a foothold in this area was going to be tricky. He expected it to take many, many months for Yusuf to gain the trust of the elders in that region. Things here worked so slowly sometimes. It was an op that had great risk to Yusuf but he was the best man for the job.

Bransworth left the office and securely closed the door behind him. He liked working for the Colonel. He sat down and began reviewing the unit reports from history. As part of his training he was tasked with reviewing the old files for anomalies and difference between reported events by various unit members.

One file in particular bothered him but he could not quite figure out why. He set aside the file titled Mission 547826. It was where they had a fatality and an injury. Something just didn't set right with how Sergeant Gleason died. But Bransworth was damned if he could figure it out. Perhaps with study of more unit reports he would be able to pick up on what it was.

.

* * *

 _* Mambo No. 5 lyrics are property and copyright of their owners._

 _ **AN:** Thought everyone should get to know Bransworth a bit better. The calm before the storm._


	33. Scout, Aching Feet & Interesting

**Scout, Aching Feet & Interesting **

* * *

_**Panin Savelievich's Bordello – Office**_

Panin was reviewing his financial data when there was a knock on his door. He looked at the armed guard standing inside the door and waved to him that it was okay to open the door and find out who it was and what they wanted. Panin hated to be interrupted when he was reviewing his finances.

Right now he was in a bad mood. Business was down due to competition moving into his market. The damned Jackals gang was moving into prostitution as well as the drugs and arms they pedaled. He should look for a way to get top dollar for those little girls. He needed a buyer that had very deep pockets and was willing to pay for virgins.

The guard opened the door slightly and spoke briefly. Then he closed the door and reported that Boris Antonovich had some information Panin might be interested in.

Panin closed the file on his computer and indicated to bring Boris in. Antonovich was one of his scouts. He worked the clubs and his duty was to identify potential customers for all aspects of his business.

Boris entered warily. Panin paid well for services but he was one crazy bastard and could kill you if the whim overtook him. Passing information to him could be lucrative and deadly at the same time.

But this was too good to pass up so he had come hoping for a huge payday. Boris waited until he was given permission to speak.

Panin asked in English to ensure he guards were unaware "So what is this information you think I might be interested in."

Knowing he had to speak English, Boris responded "I saw two men that may be of interest to you. Both are loaded and looking for good times."

"Names?" Panin prompted.

"Mike Galloway and Maks Gennadiyevich" Boris said with a grin that showed missing teeth.

Panin showed no external response. But internally he became excited, very excited for two reasons. Galloway was a name he had never forgotten. Selling him into slavery had been a coup. He got top dollar for the handsome young man. The couple that bought him was one of his best clients until they had an unfortunate accident.

He always wondered what happened to Magic Mike. He dropped off the face of the earth. Most likely went underground.

Panin was curious as to why he had surfaced again. He thought that perhaps he might just make another sale. Depends on what he looked like after all these years. Or perhaps Magic Mike was into buying someone himself now. Two possibilities to increase his bottom line.

The second reason was Maks. Party boy extraordinaire. He came from filthy rich parents and was said to have hidden deviant tastes. Maks paid very well to keep his predilection out of the public eye.

Panin thought that Maks might just be the buyer he was looking for. He had deep enough pockets to afford them.

Pulling a wad of cash and a fancy looking card out of his desk drawer he motioned for Boris to come closer. He handed him the cash and said "That is for the information." Then he held the card out and said "Give this to one or the other and if either shows up here I will pay you double for your efforts."

Boris took the fancy card. It was clearly an invitation to the Cherry Club. He smiled "Yes sir. I will ensure they know what an honor it is to get such an invitation. I'm sure they will show up."

He was then shown out.

Panin sat back in his chair and grinned. He could envision his bottom-line increasing substantially very shortly. He rose as he decided it was time to check on his little investment and ensure the girls were cleaned up and ready to be seen by bidders.

* * *

 _ **Outside Panin Savelievich's Bordello**_

Markov nudged his brother Krymov Yurievich "Wake up. Boris Antonovich is leaving the bordello and I saw him put one of those invitations in his pocket. Let's follow him and see who Panin had invited to the Cherry Club. We might be able to use that to get back at him for cutting us out of the deal."

Krymov added "Shooting me too."

Markov nodded "Yeah that too."

* * *

 _ **Hotel Makhachkala – Luxury Suite – Main Room**_

Sam exited the bedroom closing the door behind him. He found Matt sleeping on the couch and it looked like Matt was enjoying a dream. Quietly Sam moved to the small fridge in the room and pulled out a water bottle. He looked around for something to eat. He was starving. The only thing he saw was an apple. That would have to do for now.

He grabbed the apple and then headed for the balcony slowly because his feet were aching terribly. The ache had woken him up and instead of lying there in bed and possibly waking Anastasia he decided to get up. Quietly he opened the balcony door and then sat on one of the two chairs on the small balcony. The breeze from the sea was cool and salty.

As he munched on the apple, Sam let his mind wander to try and forget about the ache in his feet. He wondered what his life might be like if he had never joined Special Forces. It was Matt's dream not his. Sam wondered if he had never joined the Army at all, if he had stuck it out in the 51st Division what his life might be like.

Would he be married? Would he have kids? Sam snorted as he thought would he even be alive?

Things at the 51st did not turn out like he thought they would. He had naively believed all cops were good. He could never quite understand why everyone had turned on him. It just didn't seem right. Snow and the rest were the dirty cops not him.

But they had turned on him. He had joined the Army. He had met Matt.

Sam sighed. What would his life be like without Matt? He was a godsend. There was no one quite like Matt on this earth.

Matt had been his first true friend. That is besides Charlie. But Charlie was a girl and that was short lived. Charlie belonged with Jett and they had lost contact right after high school.

Sam knew that whatever his life would have been if he had not joined the Army, he would never want it to be different. He was glad it happened the way it happened so that he could meet Matt. However, if he could he would change some of the shit he had endured after joining the Army, like being tortured.

His feet were aching really bad now because of one stupid night on his feet. It pissed him off that his body was not up to par. He had the bastards that tortured him to thank for that.

Sam still had trouble with his feet if he was on them a long time. He tried to hide the pain from the guys. But Patch and Matt always saw right through him.

The door opened behind him and Sam saw Matt rubbing his eyes as he came out on the balcony.

Matt asked "What you doing up so early?"

Sam responded "It's eleven am. Not so early."

"It is when you are a playboy and your days begin at eight pm and go until four or five am" Matt groused as he sat down.

Matt looked closely at Sam once he got the sleep out of his eyes. He could see that look on Sam's face.

"What's up?" Matt asked.

Sam chuckled. He could never hide anything from Matt.

Matt gave Sam the look.

Sam fessed up "Alright my damned feet are aching. Matt, I'm afraid that I can't do another night out at the clubs."

"What's your level right now?" Matt asked as he stood up.

Matt was glad that he heard Sam come onto the balcony. Sam still hated to admit that he hurt. He was trying to push what happened to him down and every time his feet hurt parts of it bubbled up. That was one of the reasons Patch kept Sam medicated. It helped Sam emotionally if he did not have to deal with the physical pain.

Looking out at the sea Sam quietly admitted "Six."

Sam was preparing for a lecture from Matt about not asking for pain meds. Matt surprised him by simply walking inside. He heard the door to the suite open then close. Damn, Matt was going to get Patch.

Five minutes later Matt, Patch and Blaze entered the suite and came out on the balcony. At the same time Sam's stomach growled.

Patch laughed "Well I see I have two things to sort out. First, take these." He held out two pills for Sam to take.

Sam eyed them "These are more than just ibuprofen."

Blaze frowned at Blondie and said "If I have to I will order you to take them. I'd much prefer you choose to take them though."

"But they might knock me out too long. We have the other clubs to get to tonight" Sam protested.

It became a glare of wills until a knock at the door interrupted them. Sam went to rise and Patch pushed him down.

Blaze turned and headed for the door removing his gun from his holster. They were not expecting any visitors and the rest of the team would have just entered. He check through the peep hole then holstered his weapon.

He opened the door and a bellboy held out an envelope and said "Для товарища Геннадьевич" (For Comrade Gennadiyevich)

Blaze took the envelope and closed the door. He headed back out to the balcony and handed the envelope to Blondie. "This came for Maks."

Sam opened the envelope and pulled out a fancy card. He read the Russian script.

He looked at Blaze and said "Maks has been invited to the Cherry Club. It is an open invitation."

Matt smiled "Good, no more clubbing needed. Now take the damned pills and get some sleep. You need to be in top form tonight Sinner."

Patch and Blaze stared at Matt and Patch asked "Sinner?"

"Long story, I'll tell you sometime Patch" Matt answered.

Sam asked "How long will these knock me out?"

Patch answered "Eight to ten hours tops."

Blaze said "Take them Blondie. From what I saw people do not begin showing up to the Cherry Club until after midnight. That is thirteen hours from now. It will be out of your system in enough time kid."

Reluctantly, Sam reached for the pills. Then he asked "Can I eat first? I'm starving."

Anastasia poked her head out "I'll order some food for everyone."

Patch said "Take them now. Then eat and then rest."

Sam complied and swallowed the pills.

Matt patted his back and said "You should have woken me up."

Sam shrugged as Matt settled into the other chair again. He smiled and said "You looked like you were having a good dream. Who were you drooling over in your dream?"

Matt blushed slightly but simply said "I don't know what you are talking about Sam."

Internally, Matt recalled his dream. There was no way in hell he could say anything. First and foremost Blaze would kill him if he knew he was dreaming about his sister Daphne in that way. Secondly, even if it wasn't Daphne he had been dreaming about he would never share that type of dream with anyone.

But Daphne was the first woman he really truly liked. He considered sleeping with her. That would be a huge step. One he had never taken before. Being with a woman intimately was more to him than just sex. It had to mean something.

Matt hoped he might get the chance to see if things with Daphne could grow. She seemed to like him. They were at the teasing each other stage of the relationship. God he would love for this relationship to grow and if it did he hoped that Blaze would approve. Blaze's approval meant a lot to him.

Sam watched the emotions flitter across Matt's face. Damn he was right. Matt was dreaming about someone. He wondered who it might be for a moment but then he just closed his eyes and let the cool breeze gently blow in his face.

He needed to prepare for tonight. Going into Savelievich's place was surely gonna test his soul. He needed to be able to do what must be done to save those little girls.

The food arrived a short time later. Sam pigged out and then he headed into the bedroom as he became drowsy due to the effects of the pain meds that Patch had given him.

* * *

 _ **Outside Hotel Makhachkala**_

Markov got back into the car and said "Вы не поверите, кто это приглашение для."  
(You are not going to believe who that invitation is for.)

"Кто?" Krymov asked.  
(Who?)

"Maks Геннадьевич" Markov stated.  
(Maks Gennadiyevich)

Krymov shook his head "Этого не может быть. Когда мы были во Франции, я читал журнал, который сказал Maks находится в Канаде. В статье говорится, что он развлекался с несовершеннолетними девочками и был арестован. Он утверждает, что он не знал об их возрасте и думали, что они были в возрасте и обвиняет планку не чесание их должным образом. В статье говорится, что его паспорт был аннулирован, пока вопрос не будет урегулирован"

(It can't be. When we were in France I read a magazine that said Maks is in Canada. The article said he was partying with underage girls and got arrested. He claims he was unaware of their ages and thought they were of age and blames the bar for not carding them properly. The article said his passport was revoked until the matter is settled.)

Markov nodded and smiled. This could be very interesting. Who was impersonating Maks and why? Interesting. How could he use this to his advantage?

He turned to his brother and said "Stay here and watch. I'm going back inside to see if I can find out who is really in there."

Krymov nodded and scrunched down in the seat to wait as he rubbed his sore arm.


	34. Compassion, We Have Problem & I Slipped

**Compassion, We Have a Problem & I Slipped**

* * *

 _ **MP Commander's Office – Kandahar**_

Captain Keyondre Barrett, Commander of the military police in Kandahar, hung up the phone. At first he was pleased to be getting a call from his wife. He missed Hadiah and his children.

His eldest son had just started at university. Karam had planned to take a year off between high school and university to volunteer. But it ended up being a year of rehabilitation instead. The fire he was caught in as he rushed inside his girlfriend's home to save Meghan had left him badly burned.

A heater left on and too close to a blanket had been the cause. It was Meghan's fault. It still stung to think how Meghan had treated Karam afterwards. His burns were significant and required skin grafts.

Meghan had been so unkind to Karam and broke up with him stating she could not be with him because she could not stand to look at his scarred face and arms. It infuriated him when he thought how could Meghan be so unkind? Karam had gotten those scars saving her.

Hadiah's call had brought back all those feeling of fury he had towards Meghan. She had called to relay some information and ask if there was any way he could help with Mrs. Braddock's issue. Keyondre knew that Hadiah and Mrs. Braddock had worked closely on several volunteer committees. Mrs. Braddock was one of the most compassionate women he and his wife knew. Hadiah related to him an incident that one of his MPs had been in and it turned his stomach.

Keyondre was aware of what had befallen Master Corporal Braddock. He was involved in ensuring proper security of his barracks after the incident involving someone taking Braddock's wheelchair. Word had gotten around that Corporal Murphy was responsible for the despicable prank. Keyondre had a few of his most trusted MPs keep a watch on Murphy ever since when he was on base. There was something about that man he did not like.

He had gone to speak with Lieutenant Blain personally to assure him that patrols would be increased around their barracks. While there, Keyondre had seen the unit medic examining Braddock's torso. The scarring was significant and brought to mind memories of Karam's burn scars. His heart had gone out to the young soldier knowing the hard path to rehabilitation he was on.

So when Hadiah told him what Mrs. Braddock relayed to her after speaking with General Braddock's staff member Private Weeks about one of his MPs, Private Julie Pinchas, the call was not so peasant. The General's wife was asking for help to teach the young private compassion. She did not want to have it blow back on either the General or on Sam and Keyondre understood that completely.

The General had enough to deal with. And knowing the General as well as he did, Keyondre knew the General would never dress down the private because it could be seen as prejudicial because the maligned party was his son. Keyondre would take care of this because the private was his responsibility anyways. That private needed to learn a thing or two and he was just the person to make that happen.

Captain Barrett called out to Private Wane "Locate Private Pinchas and have her report to me immediately."

Private Wane responded "Yes Sir" then rushed out to find Julie. Twenty-five minutes later he returned with Private Pinchas and she reported to the Captain as he took his seat again. He wondered why the Captain looked out of sorts but decided if it was his business the Captain would tell him. He went back to his paperwork.

Julie had saluted and remained at attention. She wondered why the Captain had called her to his office. Maybe she was finally getting the promotion she had been bucking for. She waited with great hope and had a hard time keeping the smile off her face.

Captain Barrett had several minutes to decide what to do. He left the Private waiting at attention as he slowly headed for his door and closed it soundly. He was not of the mind to publicly dress down a soldier no matter how much they might have deserved it. And this private deserved it.

He walked back to his desk and said "At ease Private."

Julie went to parade rest. The smile did show on her face but only for a moment as she caught the glowering look on the Captain's face. Frantically she scrambled in her mind for something she had done wrong that would cause that look. She couldn't find a damned thing. Apprehension began to grow as the Captain remained silent.

His expression stern and his voice cold, Captain Barrett stated "Private Pinchas your actions have cast a sorry shadow over this military. We expect the men and women of the Canadian Forces to behave in a decent and compassionate manner on and off duty. Your actions off duty reflect poorly on all of us."

Julie was confused and interrupted even though she should not have "Sir I do not know what you are talking about. I have done nothing to cast a shadow."

The Captain walked forward and stood in the Private's personal space as his tone became harsher "You were not given permission to speak Private. Do not interrupt me again."

Gripping her hands tightly behind her back, Julie tried to quell the quaking that her commanding officer's actions and tone started in her. Captain Barrett was an imposing man. He was six and a half feet tall with a broad chest and bulging biceps. He was a very handsome man of African descent. If he weren't happily married Julie would love to run her hands over his fine chest.

Normally his brown eyes were kind and his lips formed into a smile. He usually had a fatherly air about him and was hard to rile. But he was completely intimidating when he was angry and he was surely angry now. It showed in the flint of eyes and clenched jaw and downward turn of his mouth.

Julie wondered just what the hell she had done to invoke the wrath of Captain Barrett.

Getting ahold of his emotions again Keyondre stated "Private Pinchas it has come to my attention that you have actively disparaged a fellow soldier. Your mouth has run and said disgusting things about a man who has served his country well. A man that was cruelly injured in that service and who has fought great adversity to recover from those wounds so that he may return to active duty."

"I expect each of my soldiers to comport themselves in a manner that brings honor to this corps. Unfortunately you have brought shame with you utter lack of compassion for a fellow soldier. That type of behavior will not be tolerated" Captain Barrett said as he held the Private's eyes.

Julie fidgeted. Oh crap. Someone had blabbed to the Captain what she had said about Sam. Maybe it was Karla. Or perhaps it was the General himself. She paled. Julie could kiss her career goodbye now. It was gossiped often that the General showed favoritism to his son. He had heard her and Karla she was sure.

The guy she slept with last night, Corporal Blake Murphy had a lot to say on that subject. She could tell that Blake had no like for Sam and they had a good laugh over all Sam's scars. Blake had commiserated with her that it was indeed disgusting that she had kissed someone so scarred up and ugly.

Captain Barrett declared "In addition to your regular duties you will be assigned to assist at the base hospital burn ward for four hours per day. It is clear to me from what you have been spreading around that you need to learn compassion. Perhaps assisting our soldiers that have been injured in the line of duty and seeing the struggles and challenges they must go through will help you develop some compassion."

Julie cringed. Gross. Helping with burned and scarred people that would be disgusting. But she tried to hide the revulsion from her face as she asked "How long will I be assigned to doing the extra work Sir?"

Keyondre did not miss the look of disgust on her face and it spiked his anger for how Meghan had treated his son Karam. He answered curtly "Until I deem otherwise. After your normal shift tomorrow you will report to Dr. Parker at the base hospital to coordinate your assignment with your regular duties."

Captain Barrett then added "I better not hear of you disparaging another soldier. If I do, the consequences will not so be lenient. Do I make myself clear?"

Julie nodded "Yes Sir."

"You are dismissed" Captain Barrett stated.

Julie turned and strode from the room. She was thoroughly pissed off. Who knows how long she would have to be on that extra duty. She decided to go find a commiserate ear. Hopefully Blake Murphy was around. He would console her.

* * *

 _ **Hotel Makhachkala – Luxury Suite – Main Room**_

Blaze sat quietly with his hands linked behind his head as he stared at the bedroom door. Blondie confused the hell out of him still. Growing up under the thumb of the General had produced an interesting person.

Blondie's sense of duty was way beyond even his own sense of duty, which was saying something. The kid had no self-preservation and was willing to take risks that put him in the path of direct harm. Blondie did that without flinching.

There was something about that kid that drew Blaze to him though. His initial assessment when Blondie first joined them was that he was a cocky kid. He knew he had to have skills to make it through Special Forces training. It was rare when the selection process and subsequent training did not weed out the unfit.

A brief thought entered his head that reminded him that process was not fool proof. Unfit soldiers occasionally made it through. Plouffe, Murphy and Travis were prime examples of that.

Winds sat down next to Blaze and asked "What's on your mind Blaze?"

Turn to his long-time friend Blaze let his guard down completely because it was just the two of them in the room right now. "I'm worried that Blondie is being asked to do more than is right or proper. We've worked so hard to bring the kid back from the brink. What he is being forced to do may be too much for him. But he will do it because of those little girls."

Winds' brows drew together and he clenched his fists "I've been thinking the same thing. I just can't figure out another way to go about this. One thing that has also been bothering me is where the real Maks is. Did the mission notes say anything about that? Cause if the real Maks shows up things will turn ugly really fast."

Blaze answered "The real Maks is on ice in Canada. His passport was revoked until some legal stuff is sorted out. I'm sure the Colonel will ensure he is not released until we complete the mission."

His gut was churning though as Blaze added "With as high profile as Maks is in the gossip magazines I'm worried though that news of that may have made it here. That would complicate matters."

"Yeah it would. We need a strategy if that comes to light. We cannot leave Blondie hanging out to dry" Winds stated.

"Any ideas?" Blaze asked.

Standing Winds said "No but I know someone who might."

Chuckling Blaze replied "Mike. I wonder about that man's past. How he knows about Maks and Panin."

"Not for us to dig into. His past is his to reveal if he wants. We all have things in our pasts we would rather keep to ourselves. Seems to me that Mike just might have more than most" Winds said as the headed for the door.

Blaze directed "Send Patch back in when you get a chance. I want him to do a once over on Blondie when he wakes up. I need to be sure he is really up to doing this physically."

Winds nodded "Sure thing. But I think the bigger question is if Blondie is up to this emotionally."

The door closed behind Winds and Blaze blew out a breath. That was the million dollar question and Blondie would hide the truth from them. It was time that Blaze started learning to really read Blondie's emotional state. He needed to be able to see beyond the shields the kid threw up to hide from them.

Blaze wondered again what had happened in Blondie's life to make him so guarded. He could see that trust was something Blondie did not give out willy-nilly. It was slow to build and had to be earned. He hoped that he had earned Blondie's trust.

Perhaps it was time to meet that head on with Blondie. Perhaps a little talk, just the two of them was needed. He smiled when he thought perhaps a father son talk would be in order. That was silly to think of being Blondie's father because he was only thirteen years older. But Blondie did engender the same feelings of concern and care that rose in him when he thought of his sister Daphne. And Daphne was only eleven years younger than him.

His thoughts were interrupted when Mason and Ripsaw entered the room. Mason stated "We have a problem Blaze."

Blaze stood up at the serious tone of Mason "That would be?"

Mason reported "We were watching the security cameras from the hotel and have detected Markov and Krymov. Markov was seen speaking to the front desk clerk and Krymov is just sitting in a car outside. Markov is now snooping around inside and asking questions about Maks. Matt and Patch have gone down to investigate because they have not been seen in the clubs with Blondie."

Blaze stated "Mason you stay with Blondie. He is vulnerable being knocked out at the moment. Ripsaw, go get Winds and Mike and then you three meet me down in the lobby. Send Anastasia in here too. Mason, station her in the bedroom with Blondie and you stay out here."

Mason nodded and withdrew his gun checking it and then going to check on Blondie. Ripsaw headed back to the other rooms.

Checking his own gun then putting it back into his shoulder holster Blaze said "I think is it is time we changed up the plan a bit. Perhaps we can get the information on the girls from Markov or Krymov."

"That would be good. I didn't like our existing plan too much. It was asking too much of Blondie. The kid has endured too much and he might be good physically but emotionally this is too much to ask of him right now" Mason stated flatly.

Blaze only nodded then headed out of the room. It was time to go hunting.

* * *

 _ **Hotel Makhachkala – Lobby and Bar**_

The unit all met in the lobby and Matt related in a hushed voice that Markov was in the bar. Blaze quickly outlined the plan. They were going to take both Markov and Krymov. But they needed to do it without raising suspicion around them. Matt and Patch were sent into the bar to get Markov and Mike would assist in establishing their cover by coming in after they initiated conversation. Blaze, Ripsaw and Winds would head outside to get Krymov.

Markov was sitting in the bar trying to strike up conversations with guests who may have run across this fake Maks. He saw two men enter. One had brown hair and green eyes. The other was a little taller and had light ash brown hair and brown eyes. Markov watched them with curiosity. They didn't quite fit the mold of the other guests here.

Patch and Matt sauntered into the bar and over to a table that was near Markov. They knew he was watching them. They chose to speak in French when the barmaid came to take their order. She was confused.

Patch used his open emotions to his advantage and turned to Markov "Parlez-vous français?"  
(Do you speak French?)

"Un peu" Markov answered.  
(A bit.)

Patch let relief show "Nous ne parlons pas russe. Nous avons seulement un peu de temps pour nous détendre avant que notre patron ne se réveille et ne fasse le tour de nos ânes. Pouvez-vous lui dire que nous voulons deux bières?"  
(We don't speak any Russian. We only have a little bit of time to relax before our boss wakes up and will be riding our asses. Can you tell her that we want two beers?)

Markov ordered the two beers and smiled "Qui pourrait être votre patron?"  
(Who might your boss be?)

Matt sighed and said "Maks Gennadiyevich."

Markov thought this was perfect. He would ply these men for information. He would get out who was impersonating Maks. Then he could go to Panin and … and what? How should he play this? What was the game for this fake Maks? Was it simple fraud or was something else in play.

He decided to play as if he knew the real Maks. The pretender's guards would not know he never met Maks. So he smiled and asked "Comment va mon vieil ami Maks?"  
(How is my old friend Maks?)

Matt took a small sip of the beer that was delivered and said "Vous connaissez mon patron? Zut. Vous ne pouvez pas lui dire que je buvais. Il va tirer mon âne."  
(You know my boss? Damn. You can't tell him I was drinking. He will fire my ass.)

Markov grinned, "Secret sûr avec moi. Je croyais que Maks était au Canada."  
(Secret safe with me. I thought Maks was in Canada.)

"Il était. L'argent parle cependant" Matt stated.  
(He was. Money talks though.)

Mike walked in and stood right next to a distracted Markov as he spoke to Matt and Patch in Russian "Что вы делаете пить? Вы знаете, Maks не допускает, что."  
(What are you doing drinking? You know Maks does not allow that.)

Matt quickly said to Patch "Qu'a t'il dit? Damn, nous n'aurions jamais dû prendre un emploi avec Maks sans connaître le russe."  
(What did he say? Damn we should have never taken a job with Maks without knowing Russian.)

Patch shrugged and took a sip of his beer.

Markov said "Vous ne voudrez peut-être pas boire ça. Votre copain vient de dire que Maks ne permet pas de boire."  
(You might not want to drink that. Your buddy just said that Maks does not allow drinking.)

Then Markov turned to look at the man that had come up behind him asked "Кто ты?"  
(Who are you?)

Mike smiled as he pressed a concealed gun in Markov's back "Ton pire cauchemar."  
(Your worst nightmare.)

Matt and Patch laughed like Mike had said something funny and then came up on either side of Markov.

Patch whispered as he showed Markov a syringe filled with water "Venez tranquillement comme vous nous connaissez ou je vous ferai venir tranquillement. Très rapide agissant de sorte que vous n'aurez pas la chance de demander de l'aide."  
(Come quietly like you know us or I will make you come quietly. Very fast acting so you won't get a chance to call out for help.)

Markov stood. He was guided out of the bar and outside the hotel.

* * *

 _ **Outside Hotel Makhachkala**_

Blaze, Winds and Ripsaw positioned themselves and waited. They did not approach the car. That could get sticky and call attention to them and they all knew they could not afford to do that. They had no idea who else might be watching.

Ripsaw had suggested using Markov to get his brother to leave the car. Then they could swoop in and take control of Krymov. It would just look like a bunch of friends meeting up. It was a good plan if they were able to successfully pull it off.

Once outside the hotel, Markov was instructed to wave to his brother and smile. Mike pointed out Ripsaw and told him that that man would shoot his brother between the eyes if he did not comply.

So Markov complied. His brother was an idiot but he was his brother and he did not want him killed. Then Markov was told to call out to him to come inside. When his brother got out of the car three men surrounded Krymov just like the three men that were surrounding him.

Markov was ticked off but there was nothing he could do about it without getting shot with the gun currently pressed against his spine or shot up with whatever was in that syringe he was shown inside the bar.

When Krymov reached Markov he asked "Что происходит?"  
(What is going on?)

Mike answered "Мы будем видеть старого друга своего брата Maks."  
(We are going to see your brother's old friend Maks.)

Markov blanched.

Krymov looked to his brother and his eyes said 'what have you gotten us into?'

* * *

 _ **Hotel Makhachkala – Room 1502**_

The brothers were shepherded to the elevators and then led down the hall on the fifteenth floor and pushed into a room. Once in the room they were both pushed up against a wall and thoroughly searched for weapons. Once the men were done they were pushed into chairs and their hands and feet were bound.

Blaze stood back while his men secured their targets. It had gone smoother than he could have hoped for. He had half expected Markov to raise an alarm. The intel on the brothers indicated they spoke English but they had avoided that downstairs not wanting to speak English. It had been safer for their cover to speak French.

He ran his hands across the back of his neck a moment then spoke to the brothers "Markov and Krymov Yurievich you will be giving us the information we desire or you will not like who we will turn you over to."

Krymov blurted out in his bad English "We no tell you nothing."

Markov said "Shut up Krymov." Then he stared at the man with jet black hair and said "Why should I tell you anything?"

Mike sat down and said quietly to Blaze "Who do you think would pay us more for them, Panin or Dom?"

Blaze stated dryly "Dom for sure."

Then to Markov he said "We want the exact location of the girls you kidnapped. If you give us that information we will release you. However, if you do not give us that information and all other details we require, then we will assuredly give you to Dom."

Markov spat out "I'm not telling you anything. You are bluffing. Just like you are bluffing that the real Maks is here."

Blaze cocked an eyebrow towards Winds and said "Call Dom."

Winds pulled out his phone and was pretending to dial when there was a knock on the door.

Matt went to answer it as the others moved in front of the Yurievich brothers. Matt checked the peep hole and then opened the door slightly and spoke with Anastasia in hushed tones.

Then Matt closed the door and turned to Patch as he said "You are needed in the other room. Take your pack."

Blaze looked at Matt and read some concern but not overly concerned. Whatever happened he knew it was not too bad.

He then turned back to Markov and Blaze lied through his teeth trying to scare them "You certainly don't want to end up like our other informant. He chose not to talk and we made sure he has paid in pain big time."

To Patch, Blaze stated blandly "Make sure he doesn't die just yet. Try the truth serum this time." Inclining his head to Matt, Blaze added "Go with him and make sure he doesn't overdose him. We need him to talk, not die just yet."

Matt had to turn away quickly so as to not let Markov and Krymov see the amused smile that lit his face. Christ, the things Blaze was saying was too damned funny.

When the door closed Blaze turned back to the brothers and said icily "What will it be, talk, pain and talk or pain, talk and slow tortuous death by Dom?"

Markov and Krymov both blanched as they wondered just who the hell these guys were. They were up shit creek without a paddle.

* * *

 _ **Hotel Makhachkala – Luxury Suite – Bedroom**_

Mason lifted Blondie off the shower floor and carried him into the bedroom to the bed. He was just lying him down on the bed when Patch and Matt walked in.

Matt rushed forward and asked "Just what the hell happened?"

Patch put down his pack and opened it as Mason covered Blondie's naked and wet body with a sheet.

Anastasia answered "He woke up. Said he was gonna shower. He was in the shower for a bit but then I heard a crashing sound. I found him out cold in the shower."

"There is no way he was truly awake. The meds I gave him should have him out for a few more hours" Patch stated.

Matt offered "He did eat an awful lot with them. Maybe he metabolized them faster."

"Possible. But he's out now" Patch stated as he checked Blondie's pupils.

Mason said "I think he hit his head on the side of the tub."

Patch felt around Blondie's head and found a small knot and responded "Think you are right."

He took out some smelling salts and waved them under Blondie's nose.

Sam moved his head trying to get away from the strong odor of ammonia. He winced as he moved and his eyes blinked open. He saw the concerned faces of Mason, Anastasia, Patch and Matt staring at him.

He tinged pink. Ah crap would he ever stop humiliating himself. He ground out "I'm okay" as he pushed Patch's hand away. He started to sit up and was pushed back down by Mason's strong arms.

Patch asked "What happened?"

Sam reached his hand to the back of his head and felt the small knot. It was embarrassing but he said "I slipped."

Matt grinned "That's it? You slipped?"

Sam rolled his eyes and told a half truth "Yeah, smooth move. I dropped the bar of soap and then I slipped on it."

What Sam left out was that he dropped the bar of soap while washing his face. He bent to get it and his face was hit square on by the shower and he had panicked as his mind tried to pull him back to there. Sam didn't think he would ever be able to allow water to hit him full in the face again without bring up memories of the daily waterboarding.

Mason chuckled "Well I'm glad it was just a klutzy move and not something more serious. Scared me a moment there Blondie."

Patch sat back and said "Your body sure did metabolize that sedative quickly. You should have been out for at least two more hours. How about you finish your shower and head back to bed a bit longer."

Sam shook his head and said "Done with shower and with sleeping. We should probably strategize about tonight at the Cherry Club."

"Pain level?" Patch asked.

"Feet zero. Back of head one. Nothing big" Sam answered truthfully.

Matt grinned and said "Tonight's game might just be very different. While you were napping we bagged Markov and Krymov Yurievich. Blaze is interrogating them for information right now."

Patch laughed and said "Oh and I'm not supposed to overdose you with truth serum and Matt is here to make sure I don't kill you."

Mason, Anastasia and Sam looked at the two with confused looks.

"Get dressed Sam and then join us in the main room and we'll tell you all about it" Matt said.

Then Matt stood up relieved that nothing serious had happened to Sam. Hell anyone could slip in the shower. However, Matt wondered if it was just a simple slip. He had read something in Sam's eyes that told him there was more too it but he did not let on to the others. Sam had been embarrassed enough about slipping.

It was a fine line Matt walked in sharing information with the guys and keeping Sam's confidences. He did not want to do anything to break Sam's trust but at times he had to say things to the others because it was in Sam's best interest. This was one time he felt it best to remain quiet.

Patch closed his pack and headed out to the other room with Mason and Anastasia. He looked at Matt and felt that Matt was withholding something. But Matt only did that if it was not something that would be bad for Blondie. So he let it go.

Sam joined them in the main room and then Matt and Patch took turns telling how they had gotten the brothers and how Blaze was approaching the interrogation. Sam, Mason and Anastasia were laughing along with them as they told the tale.

Mason glanced at Blondie and saw the bright smile and thought, Blondie really is just a kid. He was happy to see that smile on him. It was nice that Blondie could laugh and smile at least a little bit before he had to go into soldier mode to deal with the dark side of humanity tonight.


	35. I'm Fine, Easier Way & FatherSon Moment

**I'm Fine, Easier Way & Father/Son Moment **

* * *

_**Hotel Makhachkala – Luxury Suite – Main Room**_

Ripsaw entered the main room with a smile and was whistling.

Sam looked up and asked "So did Blaze get what we needed?"

Ripsaw nodded and responded "Yep. I see that Matt kept Patch from overdosing you with truth serum."

"Yep" Matt said with humor. Then added "So will the others be joining us soon? Have our plans for tonight changed?"

Matt hoped, please god let them have changed. Let us find another way so Sam is not put in a position to even have to pretend to like little girls. Sam needs a break and we need to get those girls out safely.

"Blaze and the others will be along in a few minutes. Patch, Blaze needs you in the other room to put the guys on ice for a bit so they cannot cause trouble" Ripsaw stated.

Grabbing his pack Patch said "Good thing I carry sedatives." Then he headed out the door quickly.

Mason ruffled Blondie's long hair and said "Hopefully you can cut that mop off soon. You're looking too pretty."

"Afraid I'm gonna take your modeling contracts away?" Sam joked.

"Nah, just don't want the rest of the units thinking you are a girl" Mason teased back.

Matt snorted and listened as the teasing barbs were bantered back and forth between Sam and Mason. Matt loved to watch Sam and Mason joke around with one another. If Blaze was Sam's dad then Mason was truly Sam's protective big brother.

Ever since the Humvee accident, Mason had taken every opportunity to tease Sam but also to ensure that he was safe too. It was nice to see that. Matt thought that if anything ever happened to him, that Mason might just be the one to step into his shoes and be the confidant Sam needed. Mason was a gentle giant when it came to caring for Sam. But you better watch out if you were of a mind to hurt Sam because then Mason would be your worst enemy. Those fists were so large Matt thought they could probably knock down a house.

Matt was brought out of his musing and Sam and Mason stopped their banter as the door opened and the rest of the guys and Anastasia entered.

Blaze had a grin on his face as he strode to the chair and dropped several sheets of paper on the table.

Sam leaned forward and looked at the hand-drawn maps and asked "Is this the inside of the Cherry Club?"

"Yep" Blaze stated and then sat down as the rest of the group gathered around.

Blaze looked at Blondie and said "Markov and Krymov were quite vocal when we told them that we would hand them over to Dom. Apparently, Dom has quite a reputation as someone that is quite effective in making people disappear."

Matt scooted forward and pulled one of the sheets to him "So do we know exactly where the girls are?"

"Not quite but there are two potential places. One is in a concealed room in the basement. It is only accessible via a door hidden in Panin's office. Markov was only aware of it because that's where he took the girls when he brought them to Panin" Blaze explained.

Winds pointed to the map and said "The second potential location is here on the fifth floor. It is where he holds his auctions. According to the brothers he takes his captives there to clean them up just before the auction."

Sam looked at both locations and said "The fifth floor would be easier to get too. How do I get into his office and into the secret door without raising suspicions?"

Anastasia said "That is where I come in. I will distract him while you go in and check it out."

Mason shook his head "I don't think that will work. Mike said he was too paranoid. Both locations are going to be hard to get into. Did they have any details on guards inside?"

Blaze nodded "Several heavily armed guards on every floor, the roof, at all entrances and in the elevators. He also maintains three guards in an outer office and one guard is always with Panin wherever he goes including his office. From what we got, that puts the number of armed men in that building at close to forty."

Matt blew out a breath "Not so good odds when our five are going in unarmed."

Blaze responded "If we can do this right they will not be unarmed for long. Now Markov said that it is likely that only one of Maks' guards will be allowed beyond the reception area. He also indicated that the kitchen is the least guarded area. So here is the plan."

As Blaze outlined his plan Winds contacted Dom and explained what they needed from him. The guys and Anastasia spent the next several hours discussing tactics.

Sam leaned back when they were done and took several deep breaths. Could he do what was needed? The plan was better but it still hinged on him getting an invitation to the auction which meant he was still going to have to perform for Panin.

His eyes flicked to the pictures of Anna-Marie and Nicolette and he made the decision that he would sacrifice his own soul for those girls. Better to save an innocent who had value rather than his sorry ass. He was only half a man now. What did it really matter if he died inside. He was tired of faking it. The dream and the shower were both never far from his mind.

Sam was having a very tough time getting his head on straight. He damn well better do it or he could get one of his unit or the girls killed. He was so afraid of failing again. The closer it came to going into Panin's place the more muddled his thinking got and the wilder his emotions were swinging.

Anastasia offered Sam a plate of food she fixed for him.

Sam waved it away "I'm not hungry."

Then Sam stood and strode to the window and stared out at the city lights. They still had several hours before they needed to suit up and go. He needed a moment alone to try and get his head on straight. So he turned to Blaze and said "I'm going to the roof for a bit."

Blaze saw something in Blondie's demeanor and nodded but said "Matt go with him."

Sam shook his head "I'm fine alone. Need to get my head in the right space."

"I'm sure you are fine but going alone is not gonna happen because we are out of country. Matt goes with you or I do" Blaze stated firmly.

Irritation grew and Sam lashed out angrily "I'm not some kid. I can take care of myself on a roof top for a few god dammed minutes. I don't need to be coddled."

All the guys stared at Blondie. His outburst clearly told them all he was definitely FINE at the moment.

"That settles it. I'm going with you. Let's go Blondie. We need to talk" Blaze stated in his command voice. When Blondie did not move Blaze added "That would be a direct order soldier."

Sam glared at Blaze but swiftly complied and strode to the door. He yanked it open and headed for the stairs not bothering to see if Blaze was following.

Dammit he just wanted to be alone for a bit to come to terms with what he had to do. To say goodbye to his soul that would be obliterated by what was coming. But apparently he was not even going to be allowed that. Sam was seething with anger as he took the stairs two at a time.

Blaze followed Blondie out and up to the roof.

Patch blew out a breath and then said "Blondie was pissed."

Mason slumped into a chair "Do you blame him? This mission is asking too much of him. It is not right."

Matt paced "No it is not right. Blaze should have let him go alone, at least for a few minutes."

Shaking his head, Winds said "He couldn't do that. You know that Matt. Too much is riding on Blondie. Without him, this mission will fail."

Mike tried to stay out of it but couldn't help stating "Sam's gonna need some help after this if he has to actually do what needs to be done."

Anastasia spoke softly "I think Blaze will help him. I can see that you all care for Sam. But I think he needs what Blaze can offer him right now."

Ripsaw asked "What's that?"

She popped a grape in her mouth and chewed a bit thinking whether she should share her thoughts. Deciding that the rest of the guys should know what she saw because it would help Sam, she answered "The love, acceptance and guidance of a father. Blaze will help Sam see that what he might have to do is not a reflection of the man he is. This is beyond Sam's ability to control. It is the cards he was dealt and he has to see that there is goodness that will come from his actions."

The guys were silent for a long time digesting Anastasia's words. The dinner that Anastasia ordered for them all went mostly untouched as each of them prepared mentally for what was to come.

* * *

 _ **Panin Savelievich's Bordello – Fifth Floor**_

Anna-Marie hung onto Nicolette very scared as they were taken to a different room. Annie was glad to be out of the cold room. The room they were taken to was much different. It had a big bed and a bathroom. They were locked in the room.

Annie asked in a quaking voice "Nikki pourquoi ils nous ont amenés ici?"  
(Nikki why did they bring us here?)

Nicolette held her little sister close as they stood in the middle of the large room and said "Je ne connais pas Annie mais c'est mieux que là où nous étions. Au moins, il fait chaud ici."  
(I do not know Annie but it is better than where we were. At least it is warm here.)

The door opened and a woman came in. Anna-Marie clung tighter to Nikki. The girls noticed that the woman wore a lot of makeup and not much in the way of clothes. But she smiled at them.

Nadya entered the room and saw Panin's newest girls. The youngest one looked to be about the same age she had been when she arrived here. Nadya had long ago given up hope of getting away and accepted this was her life. Over the past ten years she had done what was expected of her and survived. But she still remembered how frightened she was when she first arrived here. The little girl would eventually stop being so scared and accept it too or die.

She said "Je suis Nadya. Je suis ici pour vous aider à vous faire nettoyer. Fais ce qu'on te dit et tu ne mourras pas."  
(I am Nadya. I am here to help you get cleaned up. Do as you are told and you will not die.)

Nicolette and Anna-Marie were then led into the bathroom and told to strip and get in the tub. Both girls were happy to get a warm bath. Nadya watched over them as they bathed and washed their hair. Once they were done they were given robes to put on.

Nadya then had them brush their teeth and then sit on the stools in the large bathroom. She brushed and dried their hair and then braided it into pigtails putting large bows at the ends. Then she ordered them into the bedroom and into the chairs near a small table.

She opened a large closet and selected clothing that would fit them.

Sitting in one of the chairs Nicolette asked "Pourquoi sommes nous ici? Nous voulons rentrer chez nous."  
(Why are we here? We want to go home.)

The woman did not answer her. Instead the woman exited the closet and handed them matching pink baby doll style dresses that matched the pink bows in their hair. The dresses had white collars and a big white bow in the back.

Nadya simply said "Habillez-vous rapidement."  
(Get dressed quickly.)

Both the girls stood and started to put the simple dresses on. As she pulled the dress over her head Anna-Marie asked, "Et les sous-vêtements?"  
(What about underwear?)

Nadya stated flatly "Vous n'aurez pas besoin de sous-vêtements."  
(You will not need underwear.)

"Pourquoi?" Nicolette asked.  
(Why?)

The woman just shook her head as the door opened.

Panin walked in. He looked over his merchandise with a critical eye and thought that they cleaned up nicely. He would get top dollar for them.

Annie clutched Nikki's hand. Nikki pushed Annie behind her as the smarmy man stared at them. He frightened her but she had to put herself in front of Annie. Her voice quivered with fear as she said "Nous voulons rentrer chez nous."  
(We want to go home.)

Panin laughed and said "Bientôt vous allez à votre nouvelle maison."  
(Soon you will go to your new home.)

The door opened again and another woman who was like Nadya, heavily made up but wearing essentially see-through clothes, entered with a tray of food. She placed it on the table and left.

At the snap of Panin's fingers, Nadya looked at the girls one last time and left the room too. She headed down to the reception area where she would make her body available for use by any of the buyers that showed up tonight. She sighed sadly knowing what fate awaited those little girls, same as hers. They would learn to accept it at some point.

Panin said "Asseyez-vous et mangez."  
(Sit and eat.)

Both girls were starving and the food looked very tempting but they stood together for several minutes. Hunger finally won out over wariness and then moved to the table sat down and started to eat. Nikki poured Annie some of the lemonade and some for herself too. They were so thirsty. The girls ate and drank until they were sated all the while watched by the scary, oily man.

Panin watched them eat and drink. This was an easier way. He always starved his merchandise until just before the auction. That way they would eat readily. It was much easier to drug his merchandise this way instead of with needles.

Annie sat back in the chair and said "Nikki, je me sens bizarre."  
(Nikki I feel weird.)

Nikki's eyes felt heavy and she felt dizzy too she wanted to respond to her sister but words would not form. She leaned back in the chair as her head lolled to one side and her eyes closed.

Panin called out to his guards who came in and picked up the girls. The guards carried the girls to another room.

The room was circular with a bed in the middle of it. The bed was on a rotating platform. The room was enclosed with one-way mirrors. Around the room were twelve separate rooms from which buyers could view the merchandise in privacy.

Each buyer would be escorted into the rooms privately so no buyer knew the identity of the other buyers. Each room had a bidding button that they could enter their bids for the displayed merchandise.

Panin walked to the bed and then adjusted the pigtails and dresses. He hiked the dresses up ever so slightly to give his buyers a discrete look at what the merchandise had to offer.

He stepped back and surveyed his work. He smiled. They would be his first offerings tonight. Everything was set. The auction would begin at one am.

Panin hoped that Maks actually showed up tonight. It could mean a bidding war. He had just had a call from one of his favorite buyers and he was looking for just this type of merchandise. Perhaps if he could arrange for a few more buyers to be present tonight he could drive up the price more.

He turned to his guard and said "Держите часы на них. Они ели достаточно того, что они должны спать через него и следа в их новом доме. Но если они просыпаются вы можете использовать иглу, чтобы успокоить их снова."  
(Keep watch on them. They ate enough that they should sleep through it and wake in their new home. But if they wake you can use the needle to sedate them again.)

* * *

 _ **Hotel Makhachkala – Rooftop**_

Sam strode to the edge of the roof. His emotions were running wild and his thinking was clouded and confused. The dream he had yesterday came to mind. The fear and feelings of being hunted must have been brought up by all of this.

Try as he might, and he certainly did try, Sam could not dispel the memories of the multiple times he was raped by the bastards that held him captive. He would never speak of it to a single soul. But it ate at him.

The feelings that he was less of a man plagued him now. He should have been able to stop it before it happened. He wasn't a child like kids that Panin sold into slavery. Sam could understand a child not being able to stop what happened to them.

But he was an adult. A Special Forces trained soldier. He should have been able to stop what happened to him.

Sam growled and raked his hands through his hair. Now he was going to have to become what his torturers were, a rapist. Worse than that, he would have to perpetrate it on an innocent child. Even if he simulated the act the child would be harmed.

Blaze watched Blondie at the edge of the roof. He was giving him space for the moment. He heard the low growls of frustration. This was too much for the kid and if it was in his power he would cancel the mission. But two girls were in danger and there was no way he could do that.

He was pissed off that the General sent Blondie into this type of mission. The man would win the worst father of the millennium as far as Blaze was concerned. The General was a cold hearted bastard towards his son.

Sam looked over the roof and briefly thought that he could end all the pain right now. All he had to do was jump. Sam turned away from the edge and sunk down with his back against the wall and pulled his knees in close. He dropped his head to his knees and fought to stop the tears that were burning at the back of his eyes.

Blaze moved forward slowly and sat down next to Blondie. His voice was a mix of firmness and compassion when he said "Talk to me Blondie."

Sam sat there for a long time as thoughts and feelings raced in his head. He was expendable. He was not a man. Not anymore. His manhood had been taken from him. If anyone ever knew what happened to him they would think less of him. They would see him as worthless and weak.

"Blondie" Blaze said after waiting a long time. He laid a hand on Blondie's shoulder and felt him flinch away from the touch. But he did not remove his hand instead he moved it to the base of Blondie's neck and squeezed lightly.

His voice soft like when he spoke to Daphy when she needed consoling Blaze said "Talk to me son. Tell me what is going on and let me see if I can help."

Sam heard the word son. It ripped at his heart. He wanted for so long for his father, the General, to talk to him in that manner. But that would never happen. The General hated him because he did not save Sara.

Blaze encouraged again "You know you can trust me don't you? I'm here for you no matter what."

Sam's voice was quiet "There is nothing you can do. I have my orders and I will do my duty."

"Blondie, look at me please" Blaze said. He had heard the quiet desolation in Blondie's voice.

Sam turned his head but kept it on his knees.

Blaze's heart broke again at the utter despair and lost look in the kid's eyes. He locked eyes and said "Trust me Blondie. Talk to me."

Sam heard what Blaze said and wanted too but trust was hard for Sam. The only one he truly trusted was Matt. Sure the guys were there for him. But his trust had been broken several times and he always got hurt. Sam thought about everything Blaze had done for him over the nearly two years he had been with the unit. Blaze was always in his corner. Blaze always looked out for him.

Something in Sam needed what Blaze was offering right now. His voice was low and scared as he let his guard down completely "If I have to do this, there will be nothing left of me Blaze. Not that there is much left of me anyways. Not after what those bastards did to me. I should have fought harder and escaped. It's not like I was a child like Dom's girls. If I were a man then I wouldn't have let them do that to me."

Blaze asked "You think you are not a man?"

Sam nodded "No I'm not. I'm trained. I should have been able to get away." His voice broke "They wouldn't have …" but he could not bring himself to say it. He could never say it. Blaze would think less of him than he already did.

Ah shit, Blaze thought. He read between the lines. Blondie did not come out and say it. He didn't have too. Blaze recalled what Blondie had said when he began talking to them and told them that he had been threatened with rape but didn't know if it occurred.

It was clear to Blaze that Blondie did know and that it did happen. Ah shit! This kid had been through too much, too god damned much. And now he was being put in an impossible situation. God dammit he wanted to wring the General's neck right about now. But that would not help Blondie.

Sam turned his head back to his knees unable to keep looking at Blaze's eyes. Dammit Blaze knew. He had said too much. But once Sam decided to let Blaze in and trust him, Sam could not stop the next words "Even if I simulate the act with a kid, I will be no less a rapist and pedophile."

Blaze reached down and gripped Blondie's chin and turned his head to him. Blondie cast his eyes down but Blaze said "You need to understand something Blondie. You are a man. A strong and capable man. That is how I see you. That is how every man in this unit sees you. That will never change."

Sam's eyes flicked up to Blaze's and they burned with shame as his voice shook softly with misery "How could you? I cry. I shake. I scream out with nightmares. I didn't stop them. I'm not a man anymore. I was stripped of my manhood. Hell, I can't even take a simple fucking shower without panicking."

"Tell me about the shower Blondie?" Blaze asked as he let everything Blondie was saying roll around in his head as he searched for a way to help. He moved his hand back to the base of Blondie's shoulder and just held on.

Sam took a deep shaky breath as he sat up a bit and raked his hands through his hair. Then he said "Water … water in my face. It sends my mind back there. I dropped the damned soap and when I bent over the water hit me in the face. I panicked. I started to shake and whimper. As I tried to get out of the water stream, I slipped on the soap and knocked myself out. Talk about worthless and useless. Water in my face reduces me to a crying, terrified little baby."

"Blondie what you went through was beyond imaginable. The fact that you survived shows the world that you are a man. A strong and capable man" Blaze stated not being specific but speaking from the heart hoping that Blondie would understand and accept what he was saying.

Then Blaze reached out and gripped both of Blondie's shoulders. He turned Blondie slightly so they were face to face. Blaze leaned in closer as he pulled Blondie closer to him too so their eyes were less than three inches from each other.

Blaze's voice was full of conviction as he looked directly in Blondie's eyes and continued "Not many men could have done what you did to survive. That is not weakness. That is strength. You fought with everything you had to survive and you did."

Speaking bluntly, Blaze stated "I want you to get something straight in your head. No one can take your manhood from you. Real men cry. Real men shake with fear. Real men have nightmares. None of that makes you less of a man; it just makes you a human. I would be more worried about you if you did not cry and shake after what you endured at the hands of those animals."

"And nightmares. Christ almighty Blondie, just hearing about what happened to you gave me nightmares and I didn't even go through what you did" Blaze stated truthfully.

He then drove home hard facts for Blondie "That stronghold we got you out of. You think that with all your training, being unarmed, chained to a wall and beaten to a pulp that you really could have escaped from over eighty armed men. Because if you do, let me tell you something, that is damned impossible odds Blondie. Eighty to one Blondie, do you hear that? Eighty to one."

"When we went in to get you, hell it took all six of us. None of us could have done it alone. It was a damned miracle that we even made it out alive as it was. All six of us were needed to make it out of there alive. And Blondie we were armed to the teeth, not half starved to death, in good physical health and unchained. Do you hear what I am saying kid? You stayed alive. You did what you had too to survive in a horrific situation. You chose to survive when a lesser man would have given up, curled up and died."

Blaze sighed deeply and said "Blondie I'm so sorry I left you there for so long. It eats me up inside. I'm sorry that you were subjected to everything you endured. I'm not sure there is another man I know that could have held on as long as you did. Nor fight as hard to recover. You amaze me young man."

His eyes tried to communicate his pride "You make me proud. Not just as your CO but as your friend and something more. The General is an ass for not recognizing what a good man you are. Any man would be proud to have you as a son. Hell, if you were my son … well … let's just say that you would be everything I could wish for in a son."

Blaze's face softened at the look of wonder that entered Blondie's eyes. He saw Blondie's eyes fill with tears. Blaze pulled Blondie close and held him.

As Blondie cried, Blaze quietly said "Blondie you are a man based on the choices you make. Not based on what is done to you. Please remember that. We all have vulnerabilities and we all can be put in situations where we have no power over the things that are done to us by others. Things we wish would not happen. Things we want to fight against but can't."

"But son, that does not change who you are inside. You are a real man. All of us in this unit know that and do not think any less of you because you cry or shake or have nightmares. We all see the man you are. Your strength of character, honor and choices you make every day show us that clearly."

Blaze pushed Blondie a little away from him so he could see his eyes. "You are and have always been an honorable man. I want you to lay that burden down son."

Then his voice got firmer as Blaze stated "You get it through your thick head that you _are_ a good man. What you may be called upon to do will not change that. I trust you to do this mission to the best of your ability. You can trust that every single man of this unit will have your back and help you in any way you might need once we are done here no matter the outcome."

Pointing to Blondie's heart and then to his head Blaze finished "Son, I know who you are in here and in here. You are a man. A good, kind and just man that is willing to make personal sacrifices to help others. I will always be in your corner. You can trust me to always have your six. I would not do that if I did not think you were worth it. And Blondie, you are so worth it."

Sam wiped his red-rimmed eyes. Blaze was saying everything he wished the General would say. Sam drew a deep unsteady breath in. He didn't know what to say. Blaze had said many things he needed to think on. Was he really a man still? He'd like to think so.

Blaze stood up and reached out a hand "Let's get back inside Blondie. You need to eat something. Tonight is going to take all your strength." Then he grinned and added "I'm sure you don't want Patch harping on you to eat."

Taking Blaze's offered hand, Sam stood up. He said "I just need a moment to regroup."

Blaze nodded and said "I'll just be over by the door. I've got your six kid."

A small smile appeared on Sam's face and he gave a quick nod and turned to look out at the lights. As he heard Blaze's footsteps recede, Sam thought that was what it must feel like to have a father that cared about him. He extended his trust to Blaze and had not been disappointed.

Blaze saw him as a worthy man. He trusted him to do this terrible mission. Blaze believed in him. It soothed and calmed his mind knowing this. Sam resolved right here and now that he would do his best to get through this mission and not only save those girls but his soul as well.

He just needed to keep his head in the game and find an opportunity to change things up once he was in the bordello. His head was clearer and his mind began thinking strategically and tactically. As he stared at the city lights an idea began to form in his mind. Sam slapped the top of the wall with both hands as the thought solidified.

Sam turned and strode toward Blaze as he said "I have an idea. It is pretty risky but it is a risk I would rather take."

.

* * *

 _ **AN:** Hope I did the first true father/son talk between Blaze and Sam justice. Action starts with the next chapter as the guys go to the bordello._


	36. Sam's Plan Gets Set in Motion

**Sam's Plan Gets Set in Motion**

* * *

 _ **Enroute to Panin Savelievich's Bordello**_

Mike sat in the backseat with Anastasia wedged tightly against him seeing that Mason was also in the back seat. He was not pleased with Sam's plan. Hell, none of them were. It was very risky and could get Sam killed.

But Blaze had fully supported the idea. Blaze had stood next to Sam and his glare alone told the others to accept that was the way it was going to go making his verbal orders basically moot. Mike got that to a point. It was Sam that was on the line and was being asked to do something abhorrent. So, if Sam had another idea then they should try it, even though Mike didn't like it.

Mike was wondering how the General was going to react once he read the full mission debrief. The General was not going to be pleased. He loved his son and worried about his Sam so much. Mike wished he could tell Sam that but he doubted that Sam could accept that.

He had been the General's lead security man since Sam was thirteen. It was clear to Mike from all Sam's and the General's past interactions that their relationship was so strained. Neither one of them knew how to fix it either, even though the General tried. But the General's actions made that near impossible. The manner in which the General chose to deal with protecting his son only drove the wedge deeper. It created an environment where it would be difficult for Sam to see that his father truly loved him.

But again Mike could understand what the General was doing up to a point. The General was doing what he thought was best because Yvonne, Sam and Natalie were targets that could easily be used against the General. From his predecessor security lead, Mike had learned that Sara's death was initially investigated as a potential attempt at getting to the General. But his predecessor said that had proven false when the cause was determined to be a drunken driver.

It was that terrible accident that Mike's predecessor said started the General and Sam down this miscommunication path. And although Sara's death had proved a false threat, there had been substantiated threats on each of the General's family members over the years that Mike and his team had thwarted. So Mike knew that the concept that his family could be used against him was quite real to the General.

Hell, the General was currently getting those taunting pictures of Sam on an intermittent basis. Unfortunately, the analysts could not figure out who or why those photos were being sent. The only thing clear was that they were meant to elicit an emotional reaction from the General for some unknown purpose. So the General tried to make it appear that he didn't care about Sam.

Mike had to admit that the General did one hell of a job of making it seem like he didn't care. If he didn't know better and was not privy to the General's sleepless nights and covert trips to the hospital, Mike would believe that the General was a cold-hearted bastard towards his son. But Mike knew the General only behaved that way so that Sam would not be a target. But the personal cost of that ruse for both the General and Sam was so high.

He wished the General and Sam had a good relationship like he had with his own dad. His dad understood the choices he made in his life and fully supported him even though Mike kept his distance from his family. After General Braddock helped him get clean and find a direction with purpose Mike had dove headlong into it and gave it his all.

Mike knew his dad was very proud of him. He had turned his life around one hundred and eighty degrees from his worthless playboy ways. He was now someone worthwhile and his dad took every opportunity to let him know how proud he was of the man he had become and the choices he had made in his life.

Glancing at Sam in the front seat, Mike hoped to god that Sam's plan worked. Because having to tell the General that he failed to keep his son alive would be damned near impossible. It would surely break the General if that happened, especially when the General read the full mission report and he found out what Sam was being asked to do. Hell, even if Sam survived this whole and healthy the General was going to be kicking himself once he read the mission report.

Mason's gut was churning. Blondie was at it again. His plan was unacceptable in Mason's eyes. Mike had clearly told them all what would happen to someone who refused to perform for Panin.

But dammit, Blaze had stood firm in Blondie's corner while the rest of them had ranted that it was an unacceptable risk. Blaze pulled rank on all of them and shut down the opposition with a glare and a simple 'that's the way it is going to be. Gear up men'.

Mason looked at Blondie who was right in front of him. He was glad Matt handed Blondie Beauty and told him to listen to the playlist he selected on the way. Mason could see the earbuds in Blondie's ears. He could tell it was some sort of hard rock playlist from the way Blondie was bobbing his head and his hands were clearly playing an air guitar riff.

From Mason perspective it was helping in two ways. Whatever was playing was helping Blondie prep mentally. It was also useful for maintaining the cover of Maks. Blondie looked like a self-indulgent playboy without a care in the world right now.

Mason suspected his worry, if it showed on his face, would look like a scowl of a hired bodyguard. That too would help create the illusion they were after. He glanced at Ripsaw and saw a similar expression on his face too. Then he glanced at his backseat mates and Mike's face was unreadable like most always and Anastasia had adopted bored look he knew was only fitting the character she was portraying.

He took several deep breaths and blew them out. Mason felt Anastasia's hand land on his thigh. He looked at her and Anastasia smiled at him and whispered "Relax."

Anastasia held Mason's gaze until he nodded and she felt him physically relax a bit. She too was not a fan of Sam's plan like Mason and the rest of the guys. But she had to concede that it just might work.

Sam would have to be arrogant and cocky enough to pull it off though. However, the look on Sam's face when he explained his idea gave her a sense of confidence that he could. She just hoped Panin responded like Sam thought he might. The plan depended on Panin's reaction.

* * *

 _ **Rooftop Near Panin Savelievich's Bordello**_

Matt got into position and set up the sniper rifle. He knew he would never be as good as Sam but he was no slouch when it came to taking out targets from a distance. As he settled on his stomach and put his eye to the night vision scope he thought back over the mission planning session.

Sam had come down from the roof changed. Gone was the desolation in his eyes. In its place was confidence. It was more like the old Sam, the Sam before he was taken captive. Matt would have loved to know what took place on the hotel rooftop between Blaze and Sam.

Whatever it was that did happen, Matt was glad for it. He hated this plan too. But Matt loved that Blaze was fully supporting Sam's idea. Sam needed that. He needed to feel in control and the support of his CO. So Matt had caved quickly and became a supporter of the plan too.

Mason was the most vocal against it. Matt could see that Mason was worried Sam would get killed and he would not be able to save him. But like the good soldiers they all were, when Blaze commanded that was the new plan they all came on board and helped refine it a bit.

Matt scoped out the five guards that were on the roof. Then he reported in over their secure network Winds had established "In position. Five targets on the roof."

* * *

 _ **Back Alley Near Panin Savelievich's Bordello**_

Blaze responded "Good. Hold until the signal is given."

Then Blaze turned to Winds and Patch and said "Patch keep the van running. Our getaway depends on you and Matt being at the back door as soon as we make it out."

Patch nodded and said "We'll be there."

Winds rubbed the back of his neck and slipped out of the large black delivery van. As he shifted his large pack of weapons and tools onto his shoulder as he thought Dom had come through with all they needed. That man worked fast and Winds believed that they all could learn a thing or two from him.

But Dom was a bit scary too. The gleam in Dom's eyes when he saw Markov and Krymov bound and sedated in the room was a bit disconcerting. As Blaze joined him outside the van, Winds asked "Do you think Markov and Krymov will make it out of this alive?"

Blaze just stared at Winds and arched one brow in answer. Then Blaze picked up two large packs which were full of weapons and gear for the guys that were going in unarmed.

Winds pursed his lips together and nodded. Yeah that was a stupid question, Winds silently chided himself. Those two had kidnapped Dom's daughters and were planning on profiting from selling them into sexual slavery. Winds realized that no way in hell would they be alive by the time the sun rose. Winds was sure of it, he just wasn't sure how Dom would accomplish it without leaving a trace. To be honest, a part if him did not want to know the answer.

Blaze and Winds, dressed in all black including, black Kevlar vests and black balaclava masks that only allowed their eyes to be visible, slipped unseen into back alley behind the Cherry Club near the door for the kitchen.

"In position. Okay to move in" Blaze stated giving the command to Ripsaw that it was okay to arrive at the Cherry Club.

Blaze hoped like hell that his support of Blondie's plan was the right thing to do. He would never forgive himself if it got Blondie killed. But he could tell the kid needed this. Blondie needed to have all of them support his decision. It was risky but it was a calculated risk from what Blaze could determine.

The kid had balls. It was quite likely Blondie would be staring down the barrel of a gun. Blondie would need nerves of steel to pull off the cocky attitude. But Blaze found himself smiling as he thought back to the first time he saw Blondie and Matt striding towards the unit. All Blondie needed to do was channel that cockiness.

* * *

 _ **Hotel Makhachkala – Room 1144**_

Dom had finished disabling the hotel security cameras and wiping all footage from two weeks prior to the arrival of the unit until now. Then he had rented a suite in the name of Markov Yurievich. Dom grinned thinking how appropriate he got room 1144. That was a police code for deceased person, coroner required.

He dropped Markov on the bed next to Krymov. He had things to do before he could actually kill them. It was highly likely that these two knew who the leak in SAS was that gave away his identity to these monsters that took his daughters.

But first he needed to do a last sweep of the rooms the unit occupied. He was going to make damned sure no trace of them was left behind. William had helped greatly in sending this unit. He would not let this blow back on him or any of those he sent in any way.

Earlier today, he had already managed to scrub all the video from the clubs the unit went too and any surrounding video surveillance cameras. Dom left no stone unturned. The last minute requests from the unit had been difficult to arrange but he had managed to do so.

Dom felt better about the operation now. The idea that Sam had come up with was gutsy but it would preserve that boy's soul. Dom was all for that. He knew William would be proud of the solution his son came up with. Only someone with the cockiness of a Braddock could actually pull it off. Dom had no doubt that Sam would do it.

He secured the sedated man and then headed out to do one last sweep of their rooms now that there was no camera footage that would be captured.

* * *

 _ **Panin Savelievich's Bordello – Outside the Cherry Club**_

Ripsaw tapped Blondie's shoulder to let him know they were arriving. He glanced over and saw Blondie open his eyes and remove the earbuds. He asked "Ready Maks?"

Sam turned and gave Ripsaw a WOW smile as he wrapped the earphones around Beauty. "Ready as I'll ever be" Sam answered as he stuffed Beauty into his pants pocket.

He was glad he had the support of the unit. Matt's selection of playlist helped put him in the right frame of mind. He could do this. He would do this and those girls were getting home safely and so were the other children in this god forsaken place.

The SUV came to a halt in front of the Cherry Club and Mason got out using a handkerchief to open his door. He went directly to Blondie's door and opened it with it as well so no finger prints were left on the car. Mason saw Mike help Anastasia out doing the same thing. The car would not be traced to any of their prints.

As Blondie exited, under his breath Mason said in Gaelic "Tha am plana seo de leatsa nas fheàrr nach fhaigh thu mharbhadh bràthair beag."  
(This plan of yours better not get you killed little brother.)

Sam chuckled and looked at Mason then whispered "You worry too much big brother. Quit scowling or your face will stay that way Gorgeous."

Mason looked at Blondie quizzically. Did Blondie understand what he had just said or just infer what he said because he had been vocal about not liking the plan? It seemed like Blondie understood. But that was the Gaelic and very few people spoke the Gaelic. Mason only spoke it because his father was so into their Scottish family history and insisted he learn it from a very early age.

Ripsaw tossed the keys to the valet and then removed his driving gloves and tucked them into his pocket. Mike and Anastasia came up beside him and all three followed Blondie to the entrance of the club.

Sam assumed the Maks demeanor as he pulled out his invitation and showed it to the door man.

* * *

 _ **Panin Savelievich's Bordello – Special Reception Room**_

The group was ushered inside and to a special reception room. They were the only ones in the room. They all heard the loud music playing further in the club.

Moving around the room with an arrogant swagger Sam stopped near a table and looked at the guard that appeared at the door. He was armed. Lazily Sam stated "Если это клуб я думаю, что я буду идти."  
(If this is the club I think I will be going.)

The guard stated "Г-н Савельевич будет в порядке с вами. Он любит, чтобы лично поприветствовать своих гостей."  
(Mr. Savelievich will be right with you. He likes to personally greet his guests.)

Sam nodded and then sat in one of the chairs to wait. He looked to Mike and asked "Таким образом, вы уверены, что это, где я могу найти тип действия, я ищу?"  
(So you are sure this is where I can find the type of action I'm looking for?)

Mike nodded "Да Maks это."  
(Yes Maks it is.)

While Sam and Mike engaged in idle chatter, Ripsaw and Mason roamed the room like any bodyguard would and they were casing the room. Mason spotted the camera and then covertly identified the location to the others. As they all had suspected, Panin would probably observe them for a time before he made an appearance.

Anastasia was doing her best to look put out and upset about being ignored. She tried to lean on Sam but Sam brushed her off and put an annoyed look on his face.

Sam said in a snide tone "Бросить зависания и просто пойти сесть. Я не знаю, почему я даже принес вам сегодня со мной."  
(Quit hovering and just go sit down. I don't know why I even brought you with me tonight.)

Whining Anastasia responded "Вы надоест от меня Maks. Я должен быть слишком стар для вас."  
(You grow bored of me Maks. I must be too old for you.)

Sam gave a bored look and acerbically said "Вы даже не в правильном десятилетии типа, который меня волнует. Теперь, если вы были десяти до тринадцати, то я мог бы быть на самом деле интересно. Но вы видели слишком много миль для меня, чтобы быть заинтересованы в вас. Вы находитесь здесь только в качестве средств массовой информации. Привыкайте к этому."  
(You are not even in the right decade of the type that excites me. Now if you were ten to thirteen then I might actually be interested. But you've seen too many miles for me to be interested in you. You are just here as media coverage. Get used to it.)

Anastasia pulled back her arm and slapped Sam's face hard. Her hand stung and she wanted to wince at how that must have felt to Sam. But it was necessary to establish a baseline to assist Sam later.

Sam's face whipped to the side with the connection of Anastasia's hand. Damn, she hit hard. Sam rolled his jaw a bit as his hand came up to his stinging cheek. He stood up and grabbed her wrists.

His voice was harsh as Sam said "Вы будете платить за эту суку."  
(You will pay for that bitch.)

Sam shoved her in the chair and turned to Mason and said in French "Gardez-la là. Je la traiterai plus tard quand je déciderai comment me débarrasser d'elle. Elle paiera cher pour cette gifle"  
(Keep her there. I will deal with her later when I decide how to get rid of her. She will pay dearly for that slap.)

Mason nodded.

Mike stood and said "Maks what you said was not nice. There is no need to get rid of her. Just cut her loose."

Sam turned and said "I cannot do that. She knows too much and might blab to the press. Can you see the headlines now? Maks the pervert. Maks fucks kids. No I have to get rid of her."

Anastasia looked at Sam and said "Qu'est-ce que vous avez dit?"  
(What did you say?)

Sam ignored her so she turned to Mason and repeated her question "Qu'a t'il dit?"  
(What did he say?)

Mason only shrugged like he didn't have a clue as to what Blondie has said in English. He said "Je ne parle que français."  
(I only speak French.)

Anastasia turned to Mike with pleading eyes "Qu'a t'il dit?"  
(What did he say?)

Mike went to Anastasia and pushed her hair back behind her ears and then said "Ne t'inquiète pas. Je ne laisserai pas Maks te faire du mal. Tu es trop belle pour être blessée. Il est juste en colère, vous l'avez giflé."  
(Don't worry. I won't let Maks hurt you. You are too beautiful to be hurt. He is just angry you slapped him.)

Sam rounded on Mike and said "So that's the way it is. I knew there was a reason we parted ways long ago. Too damned goodie two shoes. Never did have the balls to stand up for yourself."

Mike's eyes narrowed dangerously "Maks stop while you are still considered my friend."

Sam lifted his chin and eyed Mike warily "What's she to you? Maybe we should just make her a present to the owner of this place. She's pretty enough to entice some."

The door opened and their conversation stopped.

Panin strode into the room with three armed guards and said "Я сожалею, что заставил вас ждать."  
(I'm sorry to keep you waiting.)

Sam turned to face Panin Savelievich. The man was unpleasant looking. Although dressed in an expensive suit he was overweight and his teeth were crooked and stained with tobacco and his skin had an oily sheen to it. His hair was oily and slicked back too. The man's eyes were set too close together and were beady little things.

Assuming a cocky arrogant manner Sam stated "Я не люблю быть ждать. Не позволяйте этому случиться снова. Мне сказали, что у вас есть тип товара проницательный человек, возможно, пожелает приобрести."  
(I do not like to be kept waiting. Don't let it happen again. I'm told you have the type of merchandise a discerning man might wish to acquire.)

Panin was seething inwardly at the cocky little shit. This was his place. He was in charge and if he wanted to make him wait he would.

But he said "Я предпочитаю, чтобы вести бизнес на английском языке. Кто в вашей партии говорит по-английски?"  
(I prefer to conduct business in English. Who in your party speaks English?)

Mike saw the twitch in the man's eye. Sam's words had hit the mark. It pissed off Panin. Mike offered "Only Maks and I speak English. The lady speaks Russian and French and Maks' guards speak French only."

Panin gave Mike and oily grin and said "You have aged well. Fifteen years is a long time to be underground. Mind telling me where you were Michael? Or do you still prefer Magic Mike?"

It took a lot to not react to the Magic Mike moniker but Mike simply said "Mike will do and where I have been is my business. I brought my buddy Maks here because he was looking for certain entertainment. I figured you might be able to help him out."

Panin shifted his gaze back to the blonde man. He indicated to his guard to hand him something. Then Panin tapped the French magazine in his hand and stated "So you are Ivkin Maxim Gennadiyevich?"

Sam nodded but with an air of indifference said "I prefer Maks."

Panin's beady hooded eyes looked at the blonde and challenged "Maybe. This here magazine says you are in Canada and they took your passport."

Sam had never been so glad Blaze had updated them on this part of the mission notes after interrogating Markov and Krymov. Sam adopted a smile "Money solves little problems like that. Wave enough under the nose of an underpaid pissant with a crappy job and anything can happen."

Then Sam was direct again "So you have something that might interest me or am I wasting my time here?"

Panin got irritated again at the arrogance of the man but he stated "I may. Perhaps you would like to follow me and see what I have?"

Sam nodded and then they started to head out of the room.

* * *

 _ **Panin Savelievich's Bordello – Hallway**_

They all went down a wide hallway flanked by Panin's armed guards. At the end were two doors which were guarded by more men.

"Your bodyguards and friends do not go into the main club. I have separate room for them to wait in" Panin stated.

Sam shook his head "No deal. My buddy Mike and my guards come with me."

A slight confused look crossed Panin's face as he asked "And the woman?"

Shrugging Sam said "I don't care. She is too old and …"

He stopped and rubbed his jaw and then his face that still held a slight imprint of Anastasia's hand. A wicked smile crossed Sam face as he said "Bring her too. Perhaps she can be part of the deal. A down payment if you will. She should fetch a pretty penny wouldn't you say?"

Panin eyed Anastasia up and down and leered at her.

Anastasia shrank into Mike's arms and did a good job of acting scared.

Mike declared "Maks you wouldn't!"

Sam shrugged "Why not? It solves my problem. What you say Panin? I can call you Panin right?"

Panin grinned and pulled the beautiful woman to him and fondled her breast. Tonight was getting much better than he could imagine.

Anastasia's eyes went wide and she cried out "Что ты сказал? Что происходит?"  
(What did you say? What is going on?)

Squeezing her breast hard Panin said "Теперь ты мой. Вы покажите мне, что вы получили, а потом я буду решать свою судьбу."  
(You are mine now. You show me what you got and then I will decide your fate.)

Then Panin turned to Maks and said "One guard. The other can wait in the other room. Pick the one you want to have a good time. I have ladies in there to entertain him while he waits."

Sam looked at Ripsaw and said "Tu restes ici. Exemple de la marchandise si elle vous plaît. Je vais être un peu."  
(You stay here. Sample the merchandise if it pleases you. I will be a while.)

Ripsaw grinned and rubbed his hands together. Panin gave orders to his guards and one escorted Ripsaw into one door. Panin then lead the way through the other door.

* * *

 _ **Panin Savelievich's Bordello – Waiting Room**_

The guard led Ripsaw into the room. It was decorated opulently and gaudy in reds, golds and greens. There was a table full of food and drinks and many scantily clad women. There were lounge chairs and alcoves scattered around and there were five doors around the large room. This room was not part of the drawing that Markov and Krymov had supplied.

Ripsaw wandered around looking like he was eyeing the offerings. What he was really doing was scanning the room for the cameras and trying to find the blind spot. He was also measuring up all the women looking for one that he might be able to manipulate.

He would rather do it that way then to kill the guards and then have to find his way to the kitchen.

Nadya saw the new comer and she instantly was drawn to him. He was small for a bodyguard. Tonight she had expected to be in the room that entertained the buyers. But instead she was sent to the room to entertain their bodyguards. Normally only one bodyguard per buyer was allowed to go into the auction area. The rest were plied with women, food and drinks. That is how Panin maintained control.

Usually the bodyguards were huge and rough. She did not like working this room. So she honed in on the smaller guy. He was not bad looking either. He had short, dark brown hair and nice brown eyes. He was well built but compact. Nadya could tell he was wary and checking out the room. Most the guards did that. It was their job after all.

Nadya approached and ran her hand up and down his arm as she said "Заинтересованы в некоторых развлечений?"  
(Interested in some entertainment?)

Ripsaw had no idea what she said but her actions were telling. He smiled because it was the woman he would have selected to approach. She seemed a bit different than the others but he could not really discern why.

He responded "Parlez-vous français?"  
(Do you speak French?)

She shook her head. But then leaned in close to his body as she her hand went to a certain part of his anatomy and she whispered in his ear "Если говорить не нужно."  
(Speaking is not necessary.)

Ripsaw took in a deep breath and backed up. He smiled and pulled Nadya to the location he had determined to be the blind spot. He backed her into the corner so it looked like he was taking advantage of the offerings.

He whispered "Do you speak English?"

Nadya shook her head.

Ripsaw then tried "t'k'ven saubari k'art'uli?"  
(Do you speak Georgian?)

Nadya's eyes widened. She had not heard her native tongue in so many years. She had to learn Russian when she ended up here. Her eyes teared up. She missed home still.

She answered "Diakh."  
(Yes.)

Ripsaw grinned and thought he was damned luck that was one of the languages he spoke. He stated "me var mshieri raghats'. ik'neb ch'emt'vis samzareulo ase rom me ver raime ganskhvavebuli?"  
(I am hungry for something else. Could you take me to the kitchen so I could get something different?)

Nadya shook her head "araris ch'ven unda darch'es ak'. me ver vt'khov, rom raghats' up'ro t'k'veni liking."  
(No we must stay here. I could ask to get something more to your liking.)

Adopting a sad look Ripsaw shook his head as he said "dartsmunebuli khar? me dzalian mshieri, magram ch'emi up'rosi krdzalavs ch'emt'vis chama arap'eri me ar minakhavs momzadebuli sakut'ari t'valit'. mas eshinia ch'ven tsamlebs."  
(Are you sure? I am very hungry but my boss forbids me to eat anything I have not seen prepared with my own eyes. He is afraid we will be drugged.)

Nadya thought about the food that was brought to those little girls tonight. It was drugged. Panin always drugged them that way. This bodyguard's boss must be really cautious. The sad brown eyes pulled at her heart strings.

She said "me vt'khov nebart'va Madam. davelodot' ak' da me vik'nebi ukan ts'ota."  
(I will ask for permission from the Madam. Wait here and I'll be back in a little bit.)

Ripsaw brightened up and kissed her gently on the cheek "Gmadlobt'."  
(Thank you.)

Nadya headed off and Ripsaw watched intently to see which door she exited. If the answer was no, Ripsaw would just have to choose a door and hope he located the kitchen quickly without encountering many guards or setting off alarms calls.

* * *

 _ **Panin Savelievich's Bordello – Main Club**_

Sam, Mike and Mason followed Panin through the main club. Panin kept hold on Anastasia as they walked. The guys looked around and noted the placement of every single guard and every exit. Their eyes quickly found the cameras.

The music was very loud and the extremely large room was sectioned off into smaller areas by cherry red curtains and glass partitions with images of etched cherries and naked women. There was a long bar at one end and a plethora of different types of plush chairs and couches all done up in various shades of red, green and gold.

Sam was scanning the area and thought it looked extravagant, tasteless and vulgar. Men and women were in various stages of dress and he saw a few engaged in activities that should be done in private. But no one in the club seemed to be bothered by it.

Panin stopped and turned to the group. He waved his hand in a sweeping motion and said "Welcome to the Cherry Club where your tastes can be indulged."

Sam shrugged scanning the area lazily "Nothing in here is to my taste."

Sidling up close to Maks, Panin asked "So what is your pleasure?"

Swallowing the bile that threated to hurl out Sam stated "Something younger, fresher and untouched."

Laughing Panin said "So you like to pop the cherry. What is younger?"

Sam nodded with a smile but it took Sam a moment to be able to speak. He finally managed to reply "The younger the better, but if you need specifics ten to thirteen. I like them smooth if you know what I mean."

His stomach turned and Sam thought he was gonna be sick right then and there when those words exited his mouth. Could he keep up this pretense? Sam wondered if he was sounding creditable or if he was screwing up.

Panin thought that was perfect, the age of his two newest acquisitions. He had wondered just how young Maks liked them. Panin ran his hand over the blonde woman's ass and felt her tense. He was glad she was being docile. He liked that in a woman. Pretty but quiet.

But she was a vixen too. He had seen her slap Maks. That little temper tantrum garnered him something he was not expecting tonight. After the auction he would have fun. He just might keep her for himself for a while then when he bored with her she would definitely fetch a pretty penny as Maks had said.

Panin checked his watch. The auction was slated to begin in about thirty minutes. He needed to vet Maks quickly before he would allow him to join the auction.

He turned to Maks and then said "Let me show you some of what I have to offer."

Then Panin led the way to an elevator and all of them entered. The guard pressed the number three button when Panin stated "Три." (Three.)

* * *

 _ **Panin Savelievich's Bordello – Third Floor**_

On the third floor they exited the elevator. It was quieter on this floor but there was still loud music playing to presumably cover the sounds that might come from the many rooms that were on this floor.

Panin led them to a door near the end of a long hallway. He opened it and ushered them in. They spread out around the room knowing it was better if they were not bunched up together if the shit hit the fan.

The door closed and the room contained Sam, Mike, Mason, Anastasia, Panin and five armed guards. In the room was a queen sized bed with only a white fitted sheet on it. There were mirrors on the ceiling and the headboard was a mirror too. The flooring was wood and there were several darker spots that could be old blood stains.

Mike felt sick to his stomach. This was the room. The very same room he had stumbled into. The room where he saw a man doing despicable things to a child. The room where he saw another man murdered without any hesitation when the man refused to do those same things. The room he threw up in. Mike refused to throw up again in this room and he forced those thoughts away.

Releasing his grip on Anastasia, Panin strode further into the room as one of the guards locked the door behind them.

Anastasia saw Mike go pale. So did the rest of them.

Panin's oily snaky smile covered his face as he said "Так Магия Майк принести приятные воспоминания?"  
(So Magic Mike bring back pleasant memories?)

Mike fought to push down the fear that wanted to surface. This man had scared the hell out of him as a young man. That feeling was hard to control being face to face with him. Mike clenched his fists and tried to control his breathing.

Seeing Mike's reaction but not truly understanding why, Sam wanted to distract Panin from him so he quickly said "Why are we in this room?"

Panin turned to Maks and grinned, "Mike knows." Then looking back over his shoulder at Mike he added "Don't you?"

Gaining control, it was hard won; Mike glared at Panin and said "Yes. You are a sick bastard and you like to watch."

"Tut tut. You have that wrong. I do not like to watch. It is just good business to know my clients" Panin stated. Then he turned back to Maks and said "I will bring in a sampling and you will select one, more if you want, and prove to me that you enjoy something younger as you indicated."

He snapped his fingers and one of the guards opened a hidden door that until it opened looked just like part of the wall. In walked seven young girls and two young boys. All were wearing only small briefs and nothing more.

Sam looked at the children. He judged them to be between eight and fourteen. Their bodies were so thin and malnourished. Several of them had bruises on various parts of their bodies. Their eyes were hollow with no life in them or filled with fear.

Bile burned the back of Sam's throat. What he had planned better damned well work. No child should be subjected to something like this. No child, ever!

Panin snapped his fingers and all but the littlest girl immediately removed the only clothing covering their bodies. The littlest girl's eyes were lit with terror and tears.

Sam looked into those green eyes and an image of Sara superimposed over the little girls' face. He could not look away as Panin yelled for her to disrobe. The little girl began violently shaking as the tears traced down her face. Sam's heart shattered seeing that.

Mason watched Blondie carefully. He was too far away from him. He was closer to Panin. Mason waited to see what Blondie would do.

He knew that seeing these children affected every one of them stronger than any of them had prepared for. Really there was nothing they could have done to prepare for what they saw now. Mason had heard Anastasia's slight gasp and seen her cover her mouth with a shaky hand. He noted that Mike had paled more and fisted his hands tightly. Mason's own stomach threatened to spill on the wooden floor.

When the little girl still failed to comply with Panin's repeated commands, Panin shouted "Преподать ей урок она не скоро забудут."  
(Teach her a lesson she won't soon forget.)

A large guard stepped forward. He pulled back his large fist, ready to strike the child.

All thoughts of his plan flew out of Sam's head. Sam could not allow that child to be struck. The guard's fist could kill that little girl. He had failed to save Sara but he would not fail this little girl.

Sam reacted instantly and lunged at the guard.

They went down hard but Sam had surprise on his side and with one punch Sam cold cocked the guard. But then Sam was hauled off the guard and the sound of guns cocking was heard. Sam's arms were wrenched high behind him by two guards and he was turned to face Panin.

Mike, Mason and Anastasia stood stock still. Blondie had deviated from the plan. They were in new territory now.

Mason did not blame Blondie for lunging at the guard. Those tearful green eyes were tearing out Mason's heart too. If he had been closer he would have done the same thing.

However much Mason wanted to protect Blondie at the moment, he did not dare move. He needed a moment to read the situation and see if Blondie could salvage it. If Blondie could defuse the situation they might be back in business. If not, Mason was ready to move.

Panin leveled his gun at Maks' head and aimed right between the eyes as two huge guards held him tightly.

Sam glared at Panin disregarding the pain in his arms as they were wrenched higher.

In his mind Sam was screaming 'oh god I screwed up royally'.

Seeing the hostility in Panin's eyes, Sam knew he was a dead man.


	37. Papa Bear aka Why You Don't Piss Off Dom

**Papa Bear aka Why You Don't Piss Off Dom**

* * *

 _ **Hotel Makhachkala – Room 1144**_

As Dom reentered room 1144 he was thinking how impressed he was with this unit. William had certainly sent him the best. He could not find one thing that he needed to do in those rooms to remove trace of the unit. Not even a single strand of long blonde hair.

He most likely had Anastasia and Mike to thank for that. Their skillsets were a bit different than the core JTF2 unit guys. He liked Anastasia a lot. She had skills and intelligence that he could be extremely helpful in his new line of work. Freelancing his skills to help those in need and bring down the scum of the earth was satisfying, profitable and less restrictive than being in SAS.

Dom dropped his black backpack on the table and then went to the bed and untied the sedated monsters. He searched them first and removed their phones and disabled the GPS and turned them off. Then Dom proceeded to strip them and throw their clothes about haphazardly. Dom positioned them on each side of the king sized poster bed.

He then tied the hands of the brothers that were in the center of the bed together with leather bindings. Moving to the sides of the bed, Dom retied theirs hands on the outside of the bed to the heavy wooden posts of the bed with leather bindings too. He then tied their ankles in the same fashion but with the ropes he had used on their hands in the first place. They were not going anywhere now.

Dom walked to the table in the room and withdrew a bottle of vodka and one of red wine from his black backpack and opened them. He proceeded to spill some around the table. He withdrew several more items from his pack and placed them on the table. One was a small paper cup. Dom poured a small amount of wine into the cup.

He turned and looked at the animals on the bed and raised his cup in toasting fashion and said "Pour mes filles. Personne ne les blesse et s'en tire!"  
(For my girls. No one hurts them and gets away with it!)

Then Dom downed the entire contents of the paper cup and set to work. He went and got the glassware from the mini bar and took it to the table. He picked up a transfer sheet and then wrapped it around one of the glasses and rubbed. He repeated that with several glasses and on two he transferred not only fingerprints but lip prints with a bit of lipstick to the glasses. He applied multiple transfers to the vodka and wine bottles too.

He sloppily poured a bit of the vodka and red wine into the glasses and with gloved hands sloshed the liquid around in them. He then placed the glasses in various places around the room. He laid one on the floor and let a little of the red wine and vodka stain the carpet.

Dom then began to put items around the room in what appeared to be a haphazard manner but was actually strategically placed. The items included various clothing; a pair of little girl panties, a trainer bra, a t-shirt, a thong, a pair of fishnet stockings, a dress sock and a pair of adult boxer briefs. Dom took the single earring and put it in the bed comforter that he had thrown on the floor in a twisted heap.

He also deposited used condoms on the couch, floor, bed and in a trash can along with the wrappers. Dom placed several sex toys around. It was clear to Dom that they had been used. They were not new at all and they had trace on them.

Next he set about placing various used drug paraphernalia, spoons with residual drugs in them, bongs, lighters, pills and used needles. He lit a previously smoked cigarette, cigar butt and marijuana joint. He let them burn a few minutes in an ash tray as added more smoked versions around the room. Some cigarette butts had lipstick on them. When he was done with that he put out the burning ones.

He opened a large bag that contained an assortment of food and wrappers. He dumped crumbs on the table and floor and threw wrappers near the thrash can and around the couch and chairs. He dropped some food on the bed too for good measure.

Dom then retrieved and opened a few bags and sprinkled a few strands of hair around. Dom was glad he was wearing gloves as he opened another bag and rubbed the bodily fluid in it over the genitals of the monsters. He wasn't sure he wanted to know how Elka had managed to get that for him.

He put that bag and the other bag that had the hair in it into another bag. Dom proceeded to wipe his gloved hands on the couch, bed and even part of the table. Then he removed the soiled gloves and dropped them into the same bag. He put on a new pair of gloves then sealed the bag and put it back into his pack.

Pulling out the pictures of kiddie porn from his pack Dom's heart broke as he saw the desolate eyes. These were real kids. It was sad and it sickened and angered Dom that any child would be subjected to that. He went to a trash can and took a lighter and set them on fire. He let them mostly burn but left enough that it would be obvious what they were pictures of. He poured water to put it out.

Dom then transferred prints to the trashcan and the water bottle and threw the water bottle into the trashcan. He set it down and went back to his pack. He vowed that he would do something to stop animals like Panin Savelievich. Too many children had their innocence stolen in the vilest manner by men like Panin.

The final items he removed from his pack were two burner phones. He took them to the bed and opened the flip phone. Dom rubbed one phone on each of their faces to transfer DNA and then put the phone in their hands and used their fingers to press all the buttons. Then Dom put the phones on the nightstands of the bed.

Dom had hacked into the burner phone system and created false records to show calls to Panin's direct line, the Cherry Club and other brothels. Calls to those whose prints and DNA were strewn about were included too. It would incriminate the brothers and make it look like they made arrangements to meet other lowlifes for drugs, guns and sex.

Returning to the table, Dom prepared six syringes. Dom filled two with an effective but illegal truth serum of sorts. The other two he filled with something else. The last two he filled with a counteragent to the sedative that Patch had given the brothers mixed with a liquid form of Viagra.

He headed to the bed with the last two syringes and injected one in Markov and one in Krymov. Dom could not wait any longer to interrogate the brothers so he needed them awake now. He only had a short amount of time.

As he went back to the table, Dom thought that it was a good thing he had many different types of contacts in the seedy underworld around the world. It had been simple to get what he needed. He had called his contact and made arrangements as soon as he was told by Blaze that they had acquired the brothers. Now he could leave with his girls and know for a fact his daughter's abductors would not harm another soul on this earth.

Elka had outdone herself this time. She was a local cleaning woman in a brothel that members of a local, ruthless drug cartel frequented. The prints and trace elements Dom was leaving in this room belonged to several of the high ranking members of that drug cartel. The police would find what they needed in this room to disrupt the drug ring's operations for a bit.

Dom was not naïve enough to think he could end the whole operation. Because quite frankly, there was always a top dog and hundreds waiting in the wings for that top dog to fall so he could take his place. Drugs were a fact of life and had always been. The war on drugs was a game of cat and mouse. But this would be a small win for the cats and the local police could use this to their advantage for a little bit to impede the mouse's operations while the leadership void was filled.

Waiting for the counteragent and Viagra to take effect on the brothers, Dom took the red wine bottle and poured a bit more into his paper cup and drank it as he walked towards to the bed. Then bent down and doused Markov's and Krymov's shirts liberally with it where they lay on the floor.

He straightened up and crumpled the paper cup in his hand when he emptied it. Dom then headed back to the table and tossed the paper cup back into his pack and splashed a bit of the wine in three more cups.

Then Dom took one cup and the wine bottle to the sink. As Dom poured the remainder of the wine down the sink he thought such a waste. It was a really good wine. He laid the cup on its side in the sink and allowed the contents to spill down the drain.

Going to the table again, Dom spilled out the wine from the last two cups and refilled the glasses with a large amount of vodka. Then Dom picked up the four remaining syringes and headed over to the bed seeing Markov and Krymov coming around.

Markov blinked rapidly. His eyes focused and he saw his brother first. They were up against a headboard and their heads were facing each other. He moved his hand and found Krymov's hand came with it. They tightly bound together by one hand and foot. He tried to move his other arm but it was tied to the bed post like his other foot was. He noticed they were both nude. Markov jerked several times trying to get free.

A laugh behind him and the wide eyes of his brother Krymov as he stared at the source of the laugh sent tendrils of dread through Markov.

He quickly turned his head to the other side of the bed and Markov's eyes landed on Dom.

Krymov said "We are fucked."

Markov couldn't agree more. Fear raced through him.

Dom reached down and injected both of them with the truth serum in the arms tied to the posts and left the needles in their arms for good measure. He pulled up a chair and straddled it just looking at the vile brothers.

After a long moment of silence Dom finally said "I remember you speak English Krymov, but not so well as your brother Markov. But yes you are fucked. Or more correctly you will fuck yourselves."

Both brothers felt a certain part of their anatomy rise and harden. Both looked down with incredulous expressions. They were both up.

Dom laughed and said "Jack off."

Markov yelled "Go to hell. I'm not doing that."

Standing Dom went to Krymov and placed the gun to his temple and said to Markov "You want me to kill your brother right now? If not Jack off."

Krymov looked at his brother "Do it."

"Your one sick bastard Savoy" Markov said as he gripped himself. His brother's hand came along with his.

Dom picked up one of the burner phones and began taking pictures of Markov. When Markov was done, Dom said "You must be a bit of a disappointment to women if you are so fast Markov."

Markov glared at Savoy thinking how he was going to gut the bastard and make him pay for making him jerk off in front of him.

Moving to the other side of the bed, Dom put the gun to Markov's head and said "Your turn Krymov or I do the same to your brother."

Krymov glared at Dom and said "Your dead Savoy" as he gripped himself.

Dom only laughed when Krymov finished even quicker than his brother. He said "You know you that happened so fast I barely got a picture of it. You are more photogenic than your brother"

He turned the phone so the brothers could see the photo of Krymov as he jerked off. Dom shook his head sadly and sighed "But I can't imagine you ever satisfying a woman. Is that why you go after children? They don't know what a loser you really are."

Dom put the phone down on the nightstand and then Dom straddled the chair again.

Markov snarled "That give you your jollies watching us Savoy?"

Letting his face show the real and true disgust he felt watching them do that, Dom replied "No but it was necessary. You could say it was the final pièce de résistance for this stage."

Changing his face back to calm indifference Dom then stated "You will die unless you tell me what I want to know. I've injected you both with a poison. If you tell me the truth I will give you the antidote. But you have to be quick about it because the longer we delay in injecting the antidote the less chance you will survive."

He held up the two remaining syringes.

Krymov looked at his brother whose jaw was clenched tight. He did not want to die so he said "What you want know?"

Markov ground out "Shut the fuck up Krymov. You don't know when to shut up. Those other guys said they would let us go if we told them what they wanted to know but they didn't. They sold us to Dom anyways."

Dom chuckled "You would be dead already if I wanted you dead. What I want is information in exchange for your lives. Who is the SAS leak?"

Both Markov and Krymov remained silent.

"Suit yourselves. Die or live makes no difference to me" Dom said nonchalantly as he put the syringes into his pocket.

Krymov snorted "Right. We live? We always have look over shoulder. Waiting for you kill us."

"Hey it is better than dying here and now. Painfully I might add. This poison will begin to eat you from the inside out. But it is your choice. Die now or have a fighting chance to survive as we play cat and mouse" Dom said with a Cheshire cat grin. Then Dom stood and walked to the table and put the syringes in his pack and went to shoulder it.

Markov called out "Wait." His mouth was cottony and he saw the vodka on the table. He wanted a drink badly.

Dom took a steadying breath as his back was turned to the scum brothers. He needed the information from them or his family may never be safe. The SAS leak could also present a threat to other good men and women and innocent children. Dom knew he had to get the information even though he just wanted to put a bullet in their brains and be done with them.

He pushed that to the back of his mind and focused. Dom schooled his face into a bland expression and turned "You want to talk?"

Krymov answered "Yes."

Setting his pack down and removing the syringes he put them back into his shirt pocket then picked up the two glasses filled with vodka and returned to the bed. He put a glass in each of their bound together hands and said "Wet your whistle, the poison tends to make people cottony mouthed as it begins to work into their systems just before the real pain begins."

The brothers took turns to greedily drink the vodka as Dom straddled the chair again. Dom checked the clock and noted that the serum should be taking full effect by now.

Dom slowly drawled out "You tell me what I want to know and I give you the antidote. You don't have long now before it is irreversible."

Markov downed another gulp of the vodka and then said "If we tell you what assurances do we have that you will not kill us later?"

Dom scratched his head with a look of consideration on his face. Then he responded "You don't. You will fear me and what I might do to you for the rest of your sorry lives. You took my daughters. You gave them to a man that will sell them into slavery. For that alone I should kill you. But I need to know the leak in SAS."

Lying smoothly to the brothers, Dom added "Finding the SAS leak is more important than finding my daughters. You give me that information and it will save your lives ... for now. But you ever cross me again, you die with a bullet to the brain that you will never see coming. You will be safe nowhere on the earth. Not even in the deepest, darkest shit hole you can find. I will find you and you will pay with your life."

Krymov finished his vodka and let the glass fall on the bed as he glanced at Markov "We tell, we live."

Markov finished the vodka in his glass and then threw it at the wall in anger. It shattered it into little pieces. Markov turned to look at Dom.

This man could have killed them while they were sedated. He didn't want to die any more than Krymov did. He owed no allegiance to the leak and if it could save his life he would tell.

They still had other targets from operation Sandsnake to go after and blackmail for money and kill if possible. Someday they would figure out how to kill Dom too. He would pay for what he did to them today. So he decided to tell, hoping to save his hide today.

Dom waited patiently. He could see when the decision to tell was made in Markov's eyes.

Markov slurred a bit as he ratted out the leak "The leak is not in SAS. It is in MI6. A woman is at the root of it. Funny really. She was so easy to sway. She hates you and your wife Jeanette with a passion. Her hatred and a little money is all it took and she gave up your name."

His mind was working furiously as Dom tried to identify anyone that he knew in MI6 that hated them. It was a tightknit community and few knew more than a few others. Identities were safer because of the limited exposure between operatives. But Markov said it was a woman. Could it be a lower level support staff? Another question was what had he or Jeanette done to spark the hatred?

He asked "So who is this woman? I will know if you are lying."

Markov stated "Harriet Lambourne."

All Dom's training came into play as he kept his outward visage calm, collected and unfazed. But inside he was seething with anger. Harriet had done this? He knew Harriet was not pleased with him eons ago when he had quit dating her. But he never suspected she hated him or Jeanette. She was always so friendly towards them. But again, Harriet was MI6, she was trained to hide her true feelings.

Did this go all the way back to when he had met Jeanette?

Dom had met Jeanette on a joint SAS and MI6 ops and the sparks between them ignited. Once he was back from the ops, Dom had broken it off with Harriet. They had parted on good terms he thought. He and Jeanette had dated secretly for over a year afterwards because Harriet was Jeanette's boss.

Harriet had been at their wedding. She had planned the baby showers and been the first to call and wish them congratulations on the birth of Nicolette and Anna-Marie. Hell, Harriet was even Nicolette's godmother for god's sake. She had been to each and every one of the girls birthday parties.

She had even arranged Jeanette's retirement party after the girls were born. Harriet had been to their home numerous times and Jeanette had lunch with Harriet on a regular basis. This was too much to comprehend.

Truth serum or not, Dom could not wrap his head around the leak being Harriet. Markov had to be lying.

Dom questioned harshly "Harriet Lambourne? I do not believe you. What proof do you have?"

Krymov laughed "She hate you a lot. She say you should marry her, not ugly Jeanette. Jeanette stole her life. She hate your girls too. Always want to see them dead."

Markov found himself saying more than he should and wondered why but could not stop himself "Krymov took pictures of my meeting with her. We were going to blackmail her to keep quiet. They are in his phone. See for yourself."

Dom rose and went to his pack and removed Krymov's phone. He turned it back on and pulled up the photos and reviewed them. Dom was shocked beyond belief as he saw photos of Harriet and Markov in a park he knew well. It was the park near his home. The park his girls played in. He saw pictures of Harriet passing a file to Markov and Markov looking at it then handing it back.

His stomach rolled. Dom quickly turned off the phone again and shoved it back into his pack. Dom would need that for evidence.

He turned and asked "What was in the file Harriet showed you?"

Markov said "The real names of all the operatives in operation Sandsnake. We planned to go after each one. William Braddock was next on our list. His daughter Natalie would have netted loads of money since Yvonne Braddock inherited a fortune from her father Sir Alastair Loving."

Dom walked to the bed and removed the syringes in their arms and capped them off. He put them in his pocket as he pulled out the two filled syringes from the same pocket. Dom injected Krymov and then Markov and dropped the now empty syringes on the bed near the brothers.

Krymov said with hope in his eyes "We tell, antidote, yes?"

Dom's face dropped his façade and his disdain for the monsters showed clearly as he said "Yes. The antidote to you living, you piece of trash. Your filthy hands touched my sweet, innocent daughters. How could you believe for even one moment I'd let you live? I should have put you two down when I took out your worthless brother."

"We no touch girls. They pure when give to Panin. I swear. We no take innocence" Krymov cried out in fear and bad English.

Dom snorted and his voice was laden with derision "There are more ways than one to take innocence. You animals abducted them, terrorized them and have shown them the dark side of humanity. Their innocence that the world is a happy, nice place was shattered by you two. For that alone you deserve to die. I cannot allow you to live and perpetrate that on another soul; especially not my dear friend's daughter Natalie."

Krymov began to convulse and foam at the mouth Markov yelled "This is murder. You are former SAS. You cannot murder."

Dom's face was serious as he responded calmly "Not murder. The evidence is overwhelming that you did the crime and have been convicted in the court of humanity. You have been sentenced, your sentence is death. The world is better off without scum like you in it."

As Krymov stilled, Markov looked at saw his brother was dead. His eyes were open and fixed and drool was running out of his mouth. Markov was outraged at his brother's death and yelled "You won't get away with this. You will go to prison for murdering us."

Dom swept his hand around the room and said "Look around. This is the scene of a wild, drug induced orgy. You and your brother simply overdosed and were left here to rot until the hotel comes in to clean up once your allotted days are up. Your room is rented for a week in your name. Things should be degraded enough by then to make all but the overdose in your system not register."

Then Dom shrugged and said "But if they do find you sooner than that, those last syringes are laced with everything you have been given so far. So it will just look like a party cocktail that went bad."

He watched as Markov began to convulse. When the convulsions ended and Markov was dead, Dom went to the bed and untied the leather from the bedposts only but left it tied to their wrists.

Dom went back to his pack and took out a black ball cap and put it on his head and pulled it low so the brim hid most of this face. Then Dom removed the two syringes that had held the truth serum from his pocket and dropped them into his pack and zipped it.

He slung it onto his shoulder as and took one last look around. The stage was indeed set. Dom now had one more thing to deal with before this nightmare would be over for him and his family. Harriet Lambourne had to die. He would need to find out if she had compromised other SAS or MI6 agents first.

Jeanette would happily help him deal with Harriett; there was nothing fiercer than a mama bear protecting her cubs.

Hell, there was nothing more merciless than a resourceful, skilled and pissed off papa bear for that matter.

Markov, Krymov and Harriet had picked the wrong people to cross.

Dom thought that perhaps he might even see about enlisting the help of Anastasia and or Mike in dealing with Harriet. Both showed great aptitude for this type of work. Dom could always use more contacts willing to help rid the world of scum that preyed on the weak and innocent.

When Dom exited the room he put the do not disturb sign on the door and closed it securely. He walked down the stairs and out of the hotel rear service entrance with the thought, justice served. Those two animals would never harm another innocent soul.

As Dom got into his car and headed for the airport his thoughts returned to his sweet daughters. Dom hoped the unit was successful in getting his daughters and the other children out of that hell hole. Dom sent a silent prayer to the heavens for the safe return of his girls and the unit.

So much could go wrong but Dom trusted the unit to do their very best. With William's son taking lead he was ninety nine percent certain there would be a successful outcome. Sam was so like his father when it came to mission planning. Dom had seen a gleam in Sam's eyes and the resolve that he would not fail. It was so like what he had seen in his dear friend William years ago.

If they were successful and even if they were not, Dom would be forever in their debt. Dom would go to the ends of the earth should any of them need his skills in the future.

.

* * *

 _ **AN:**_ _Okay, so I hope this wasn't too ick zone but for the whole 'stage' to work it had to be done. Dom is scary good. I want him on my side always._

 _Working on the next chapter that picks up where Sam has a gun pointed at him. Fingers crossed there might be another chapter today or very early in the morning because I know what happens. But I have to write it out and properly describe the action – that takes a lot of work to get it just right._

 _FYI for those wondering why the brothers never connected Sam to William (Oracle by code name) or why they would go after Natalie instead of Sam, here is my reasoning:_

 _\- The brothers never actually saw Sam. They were not in any of the clubs that Sam visited as Maks. They only followed Boris from the Cherry Club to the hotel. Then when they were captured and interrogated by Blaze and the others, Sam was never in the room._ _They might have made that connection if they had ever seen Sam._

 _\- The brothers also would go after easy targets like Dom's girls. So Natalie would be the target rather than William's JTF2, Special Forces trained son. Also Natalie is only 17 when this story takes place._


	38. Cocky SOB, Kitchen, Six Shots & Elsa

**Cocky SOB, Kitchen, Six Shots & Elsa **

* * *

_**Panin Savelievich's Bordello – Third Floor**_

Sam's mind was racing a mile a second as he stared at the gun leveled at his head. _Think Braddock, think._

He said the first thing that came to mind. Sam's voice was arrogant and cocky as he said "You gonna kill your cash cow over a punch? Fine, pull the trigger and you will never see a dime of my considerable fortune. Pull the fucking trigger. I dare you lard ass. Or do you actually have some fucking brains that have not been soaked in all that greasy shit you put in your hair."

Sam couldn't believe that came out of his mouth. Antagonizing a man with a gun aimed between your eyes is not a smart move.

Mason stared at Blondie. Shit the kid is crazy. He watched Panin closely.

Mike's jaw dropped open. Sam had balls. He was gonna be dead in a second but he had balls and he was not going out quietly.

Anastasia hid her smile. My goodness, Sam could not have said anything better she thought as she watched the war in Panin's eyes. Panin was clearly ticked off but he was money hungry too. Anastasia hoped the money side won the war.

Panin glared at the cocky SOB. He wanted to put a bullet between his eyes right now. Then he would sell Mike again because Mike brought this bastard to his place and the cocky SOB insulted him. Panin would sell the woman too. The large guard he might offer employment to depending on how the guard behaved when he killed his boss.

But Panin stayed his finger. He slowly released the trigger. He would not kill him. But the cocky SOB had to pay for his insolence.

With his gun still aimed at Maks, Panin said to his guard "Притупляют его. Я хочу, чтобы он совместим, но не исключено."  
(Drug him. I want him compliant but not out.)

The guard next to Panin holstered his weapon. He withdrew a syringe from the inside pocket of his coat and uncapped it.

Sam went rigid and began to shake uncontrollably as he saw the needle. His breath came in short gasps. His eyes honed in on the needle and the rest of the world faded to the background. All he saw was the needle and the face of the man that tortured him with red hot needles.

No. No. Oh god no! Not again. Sam's stomach wrenched and he hurled.

Sam could not stop it. It was more than just bile like when he was in captivity. Sam had eaten a lot when they were planning the mission so Patch would not harp on him.

The men holding Sam released him not wanting to get vomit on themselves and backed up.

Sam dropped to his knees as Panin's laughter rang in his ears. It mixed with malevolent laughter from his head and the words 'my favorite plaything'. He was there. He didn't want to be there again. Never again. His body continued to heave and shake.

Anastasia heart was racing. Sam had said he was tortured with burning needles for three months. His scars were still so fresh. Oh god, his reaction told her Sam was not with them at the moment. Sam's mind was back where he had been tortured.

She wanted to go to Sam but they would shoot her for sure if she did. The kids had scurried to the corner in fear. Anastasia went to the kids and tried to shield them from what was happening in the room. She had them turn away so they could not see. Anastasia had no clue if they had witnessed someone being killed before but her motherly instinct wanted to protect them from what was happening.

Mike's eyes widened watching Sam's demeanor instantly change from a cocky bravado to a terrified shaking when the needle was brought out. Then Sam was on the floor on his knees puking his guts out. What the hell caused that type of reaction?

Panin and his guards were laughing now. That made Mike sick to his stomach too. He recalled that laughter when he was dragged away and then drugged up. He wanted to join Sam in puking. But he didn't because Mason made a move on Panin.

Mason's breath caught in his chest seeing the terror enter Blondie's eyes. Blondie's labored breathing and shaking brought everything Blondie had told them about the needle torture to mind. As Blondie dropped to the floor and lost his dinner, Mason saw RED. He was gonna kill Panin with his bare hands right now.

When Panin started laughing, Mason lunged at Panin and gripped his neck. He began to squeeze. Mason would not allow Blondie to be hurt ever again if he had an ounce of life in him. As Mason squeezed, Panin's face began to turn red.

Mike moved to Mason. As much as Mike wanted Panin dead they could not do it yet. They had Dom's girls to rescue. Mike started pulling on Mason to get him to release Panin.

It was not working. Mason was too large. Mike remembered the pressure points on the wrists and began to press on both of Mason's wrists in an effort to get Mason to release his hands from around Panin's neck.

The guard dropped the needle and it rolled under the bed out of sight. He drew is gun and pointed it at Mason like the other guards did. They could not fire because Panin was in the way. He yelled in Russian to release Panin.

Sam finished retching and looked up. He no longer saw the needle. The current world started to come into focus and _there_ began to fade.

He registered that Mason was choking the life out of Panin. Mike was trying to release his hands from Panin's neck and succeeded in getting one off. Mason was fighting Mike to hang onto Panin. He knew Mason was in highland warrior mode and not much ever penetrated Mason's mind when he was in that mode.

Sam yelled in Gaelic "Leigeil mu sgaoil e a-nis. Leig e air falbh e. Tha mi ceart gu leòr. A bheil e a-nis Gorgeous!"  
(Release him now. Let him go. I am okay. Do it now Gorgeous!)

Mason's red haze was breached by the sound of the Gaelic. Who was speaking Gaelic? Then the name Gorgeous hit him. Mason turned and saw Blondie looking up at him with pleading eyes. His grip slackened.

Sam said "Math. Leig a-nis gu tur agus faiceamaid ma chan urrainn dhuinn sàbhalaidh mo screw suas."  
(Good. Now let go completely and let's see if we cannot salvage my screw up.)

Mason released Panin and stepped back. He was damned shocked that Blondie had the Gaelic. He knew he spoke many languages but never once considered Blondie might know Gaelic.

Mike held onto Mason and wondered what language Sam spoke to Mason and how the hell he cut through the killing fog Mason had been locked in. Whatever it was he was damned glad it worked. He took a shuddering breath in and wondered what would happen next.

Panin was gasping for breath as he was released. He stepped back from the giant and behind one of his guards. He knew his guards would never fire without his orders but he needed to get his breath back in order to tell them to kill all of them. Profits be damned.

Sam got to his feet. He was still a bit unsteady and he was thoroughly humiliated by his reaction to the needle. But Dom's girls and the other kids needed him to pull it together.

He spit out the foul taste in his mouth, drew in a deep breath then said "Damned sea food. I should never have eaten it. It was not of the first quality. I should have sent it back and demanded better. I'm sure you have someone that will clean up the mess on the floor Panin. Maybe one of your wimpy guards can lick it up. They certainly do not know how to protect you like my guard does."

Sam took a step away from his puke and closer to Panin as he ran his hands through his hair to cover the residual shaking. His voice resumed an arrogant tone "So where were we? Oh that's right. You were gonna drug me because I insulted you."

Dropping his hands Sam continued in the same haughty tone "Well you insulted me first. You think I'd drop my pants and fuck any of those used and abused things. I have more refined tastes than that. I pay good money for virgins for a reason. I refuse to take anyone's seconds. Seconds are beneath me."

Panin could not believe the egotism of the man in front of him. He swallowed and it burned but he managed to croak out "Why did you punch my guard?"

Sam's expression was one of 'are you seriously asking me that' as he said "Your stupid guard would have killed your asset. One punch from him and you could kiss any profits goodbye. She's a pretty little thing. There are people I know that would pay big money for a girl like that. Those that don't mind seconds of course. Her fear would bring you top dollar. Some I know are really into the fear aspect."

He shrugged and continued in a conceited and superior manner "Me I like them drugged, docile and quiet like. I like to sweet talk them first. Then deflower them. They will never have anyone as good as me. Whenever, whoever is with them after I'm done with them, they will always think of me and wish he was me."

Panin listened. Maks may be full of himself but he made sound business sense. But there had to be repercussions. He would lose control if he allowed a buyer to get away with what Maks and his bodyguard did.

He stated "I cannot allow the big one to get away with choking me. Nor can I let you get away with attacking one of my guards and insulting me."

Sam shrugged "So bill me. Say a thousand should more than cover it."

Panin needed to get the upper hand again and he said "No I think not. I kill your bodyguard and you pay me a thousand for your insults."

Sam laughed "No fucking way! My bodyguard stays with me. You know what it is like to find good and reliable help."

Taken aback by the condescending laughter and pompous statement Panin stood still a moment. Then remembering the strange language and still needing a moment to decide on a direction Panin responded "I thought you said your bodyguards only spoke French. What language did you speak to him in?"

Chuckling again Sam answered "No, I never said he only spoke French. Mike did. I spoke to my highland warrior in Gaelic. It is the only thing that will stop him when he is in a killing frame of mind. You are only alive because I told him to stop."

Panin's gaze shifted to Mike and he leveled the gun at him "You lied to me."

Mike put up his hands in defense and backed up "I didn't know. I only heard him speak French."

Panin shifted his gaze back to Maks and said "Here's the final deal for you to walk out of here alive. I get the woman and Mike here to do with as I please and you pay me five thousand in addition."

Sam grinned "Sounds good to me." Then he turned to Mike and said "Sorry old buddy but your life or mine and I'm gonna choose mine. No hard feelings."

Mike lunged for Sam and Mason grabbed him and held him back. Mike raged at Sam "Maks you bastard. You fucking bastard. If I ever see you again you are a dead man."

Lifting his hand Sam only waved a couple of times and then grinned, "Bye-bye Mikie. Don't think I need to worry about seeing you again."

Then Sam turned to Panin and asked "Now that that little bit is settled. You got anything that would interest me?"

Sam rolled his shoulders and stretched his arms as he continued nonchalantly "After all of this unpleasantness, I feel the need for a little release. Something fresh and untouched. If you do, I see a long partnership here. You are ruthless in getting what you want, just like me. I like that about you."

Panin laughed but had to stop as his throat burned. He rubbed his neck and smiled "Maks you are one self-centered and crazy son of a bitch. I like that about you."

Then in a business tone Panin remarked "I might have just what you are looking for but it gonna cost you a fortune. I have several buyers for the fresh merchandise and they are willing to pay big for them. I am selling a pair of sisters; eleven and thirteen. They are untouched and docile as they come."

Panin turned to one of his guard and firmly ordered "Возьмите женщину, Магия Майк и детей обратно в зону ожидания. Убедитесь в том, что эти двое будут добавлены к участию в аукционе сегодня. Я не хочу, чтобы держать их здесь. Drug их, если вам нужно тоже. Но я помню, Майк здесь боялся собственной тени, так что он не должен быть никаких проблем."  
(Take the woman, Magic Mike and the kids back to the holding area. Make sure those two are added to the auction tonight. I don't want to keep them around here. Drug them if you need too. But I remember Mike here was scared of his own shadow so he should be no trouble.)

As Mike was dragged through the hidden door along with Anastasia he yelled "You are a dead man Maks. A dead man you hear me."

Mason stared at Blondie. Holy hell it worked. The kid pulled it off. Mike and Anastasia were on their way to where the kids were held. He and Blondie were going to be taken to where Dom's girls were.

As they were escorted out of the room towards the elevators Mason saw Blondie wobble a bit and reach out for the wall to steady himself, so he asked quietly "Tha thu ceart gu leòr Ghrèin"  
(You okay Sunshine?)

Sam looked over his shoulder at Mason and replied "Tha. Chan urrainn dhomh creidsinn gu bheil an da-rìribh ag obair Gorgeous. Tha mi an dòchas Ripsaw tha soirbheachail adhbhar a 'faighinn a-mach às an seo a bhios a' ghalla ma nach eil e."  
(Yes. I can't believe that actually worked Gorgeous. I hope Ripsaw is successful cause getting out of here will be a bitch if he isn't.)

Panin looked at Maks and asked "What did you say to him?"

Sam sighed and lied "I told him good job but that he needs to learn restraint and not attack like that again. He's good help but he can be such a heathen sometimes."

Mason had to clench his jaw to keep from laughing his ass off right now. Heathen huh? But Mason could see a use for their mutual linguistic ability with a rather uncommon language. It would make communicating in this situation secure.

* * *

 _ **Panin Savelievich's Bordello – Waiting Room**_

Ripsaw was beginning to plan his next move. Nadya had been gone too long and he needed to get moving. He had to get to the kitchen.

Nadya came back into the room and found the nice bodyguard that was hungry. She smiled and waved him over to her by the door. She put her finger to her lips and then looked around to see if any of the guards were watching.

Then she opened the door and beckoned Ripsaw through it. Gripping his hand Nadya pulled him quickly down a narrow corridor. Near the end she pushed open one of two swinging doors.

* * *

 _ **Panin Savelievich's Bordello – Kitchen**_

Nadya smiled. She could not find the Madam but she had talked to the main cook and she said it would be okay. Cook was always nice to her. So was all the kitchen staff. None of them wanted to be here but they were slaves just like she was. The armed guards always guarded the backdoor and the guards on the roof would shoot any unauthorized exit out the back door. So they were trapped here.

Ripsaw found himself in the kitchen. He smiled and kissed her on the cheek as he scanned the room. There were two guards. One was by the door to the outside he presumed and one by an opening in the wall.

He asked "Ra aris, rom kedlis?"  
(What is that in the wall?)

Nadya led him over to a prep table as she answered "Mit'umetes, mimtani, sakvebis auk'ts'ionze. ak', ra gsurt' chama?"  
(The dumb waiter to send food up to the auction. Here, what would you like to eat?)

Ripsaw had an idea. It would be perfect. He could fit in that. He could get to Blondie and Mason without having to go to the elevators, assuming they had garnered an invitation to the auction. That was a big if based on Blondie's idea of being a cocky son of a bitch and demanding one. It had a greater chance of getting Blondie and possibly Mason, Mike and Anastasia killed but he was hoping Blondie could pull it off.

He had to do his part to make sure that if Blondie did make it that he was there to supply them with comms and weapons. Getting out alive would be harder than getting in.

Ripsaw turned his eyes to the prep table and asked quietly "Amjamad vinmes saubari sak'art'velos am ot'akhshi?"  
(Does anyone else speak Georgian in this room?)

Nadya shook her head no but said "Me sheudzlia t'argmnos t'k'veni survilebi t'k'vent'vis."  
(I can translate your wishes for you.)

Shifting closer to the knives that were on the table as he made his eyes look at the food, Ripsaw asked "Khart' t'u ara ak' arch'evani?"  
(Are you here by choice?)

Nadya's eyes grew saddened and she shook her head no. She then said "Gamitats'es rogorts' me dadioda skolidan ert' dghes, rogorts' bavshvi da moiqvana ak'. me t'ert'meti da es iqo at'i tslis tsin."  
(I was kidnapped as I walked home from school one day as a child and brought here. I was eleven and that was ten years ago.)

His face softened as he reached out to her hand and Ripsaw asked "Gsurt', rom iqos t'avisup'ali da sakhlshi tsasvla?"  
(Would you like to be free and go home?)

Tears filled Nadya's eyes and she nodded yes but said "Ara sheudzlebeli."  
(Not possible.)

Ripsaw winked at her and kissed her cheek. Then lightning fast Ripsaw grabbed and threw two knives at the guards. Both guards slid down the walls as blood gushed out of severed jugular veins. The guards never knew what hit them as they quickly bled out.

He said "Shesadzlebeli. Ak' damelode. Ch'emi megobrebi gadagiqvant' usap'rt'khoebas."  
(Possible. Wait here. My friends will take you to safety.)

Nadya stared at the bloody guards in shock at the speed of what just occurred and that it occurred just like the kitchen staff did.

Ripsaw went to the door and opened it and made his bird call. He grinned with Blaze and Winds immediately reciprocated with their calls and then came out of hiding. They rushed in. Winds' guarded the exit door as Blaze went to the double doors and assumed a guard positon after handing off one bag to Ripsaw.

As he dropped the bag on the prep table and began to gear up Ripsaw said to Nadya "Vut'khra, isini t'avisup'lad gasvla ukan kari khut' tsut'shi."  
(Tell them they are free to go out the back door in five minutes.)

Blaze called out "We're in. Matt take them out."

Matt responded "Roger."

Winds asked "Ripsaw, what language is that you spoke to the woman?"

"Georgian. Nadya was abducted at eleven. I want her to go with the kids. She has been very helpful" Ripsaw responded.

Finished gearing up he said to Blaze "I'm taking that dumb waiter up to the fifth floor. It will be a more stealthy approach. Won't have to shoot my way all the way to Blondie and Mason."

Blaze nodded "Go. Before you get out wait for Matt's all clear on the roof."

Ripsaw nodded and climbed into the dumb waiter and Blaze handed him the bag with Blondie's and Mason's gear. He pushed the button and the dumb waiter began to rise.

* * *

 _ **Rooftop Near Panin Savelievich's Bordello**_

Matt took aim at the guard near the entrance to the roof. He took a deep breath in and held it as he gently squeezed the trigger. The rifle recoiled against his shoulder. It was a perfect head shot and the man slid down the door.

He sighted the next guard that was nearest him. Matt was glad the four remaining had not been alerted to the first shot. If he was lucky he would get two more off before they became aware.

Matt breathed deep and held again as he pulled the trigger. He saw the red splatter and the man fell backwards onto the roof. That was good because he didn't want the man falling off the roof and down to the entrance of the club. That would give them away for sure.

Sighting the third man at the back of the roof, Matt took the shot. Shit. He fell off the roof. At least it was in the back alley and Blaze had said it was clear of any other guards.

Quickly Matt sighted the fourth guard and fired. The guard staggered. The shot was not quite so accurate. Christ, how did Blondie shoot so damned fast and maintain accuracy? He took a second shot at the fourth guard and he went down.

When the fourth guard fell the fifth must have heard a sound because he turned. He'd been lucky and got four of five. Good.

Matt sighted the fifth guard as he turned and started towards the other side of the roof. Matt saw when the guard saw the dead guard by the stairs.

The guard was reaching for his radio when Matt's bullet zinged through his head. He dropped like a rock and was dead before he could alert the guards inside.

Matt communicated "Clear. Go."

Then Matt stood and swiftly packed his gear and policed his brass. He was a little disgusted with himself. Six shots to take out five targets. Blondie would not be pleased with him. Matt needed more time on the range.

He turned his ball cap around so the brim was forward and pulled it low over his forehead so his face would be shadowed. Then Matt threw the rappelling rope over the side. He slung his soft rifle case over his shoulder and rappelled to the ground quickly.

Matt jogged down the deserted street at a good clip towards the second van that Dom had obtained for them. He stowed his gear and got into the driver's seat and called out "On my way to alley" as he turned the ignition over.

Patch called out "Ditto" as he put the van in gear and moved from his waiting location.

Winds informed them "Five friendlies exiting now."

* * *

 _ **Panin Savelievich's Bordello – Third Floor**_

Mike and Anastasia went docilely with the guards through the back hidden corridor to another room. Neither could afford to get drugged. They needed their wits to get out of this alive. They were pushed into a room with the kids and the room contained several more children. Then the guard closed the door and locked them in.

Anastasia had a new appendage stuck to her leg. The littlest girl that Sam had saved clung to her leg and would not let go. She looked at the little girl and said "Не бойся малышка."  
(Do not be afraid little one.)

The little girl looked over at Mike and her eyes teared up. She said "I wanna go home. I want my mommy."

Mike turned and looked at Anastasia. The little girl spoke English. Her accent was Canadian. She was not from here.

Anastasia pried the little girl off her leg then bent down and asked "Little one what is your name?"

The frightened, little, green eyed girl said "Elsa Tenorio."

"How long have you been here Elsa?" Anastasia asked gently.

Elsa answered "Three days. I was swimming with my big brother in the sea but lost him when a wave came and I got water in my eyes. I looked for him. A man said he would help me find him. He brought me here. I want my mommy and daddy. I want to go home. It is scary here. Can I go home?"

Anastasia picked up the little girl and said "Yes we are going to get you home. But you have to be very quiet for right now. Can you do that Elsa?"

Elsa nodded. Anastasia put her down and turned to Mike.

Mike said "We have fifteen in all. The oldest boy said he was here for about four months. This is all the kids in the club at the moment. I told him to pass the word to the others to get dressed in whatever they might have. It won't be much."

Looking down to Elsa with a motherly smile, Anastasia instructed "Go get dressed then you can come back to me."

"All I have is my swimsuit" Elsa said.

"That is better than what you have on now. So get that on and come right back to me little one" Anastasia responded.

Elsa ran to the other side of the room with the other kids who were getting the clothes on they could. She dug in the small pile of clothes for her swimsuit and put it on. Elsa then ran back and clung to the pretty, nice woman's leg again.

Mike said "Now we wait for Blaze and Winds."

He paced as he waited. Mike felt like a caged animal. Being here was dredging up a slew of memories he had buried long ago. To distract himself he began to mentally plot their path out of here with fifteen kids in tow. Protecting all of them would be difficult but Mike knew they would do their best to get every last one of these children out of this place.

.

* * *

 _ **AN:** Three chapters in a day and a half, don't miss chapter 37 regarding Dom. Hope Sam's reaction to staring down the gun and solution was as fun for you as it was fun for me to write. It had shades of how Sam reacted in Baby Steps - 51st when he was in the basement with Brogan and the other dirty cops. It got the job done this time; although, it was touch and go when that needle came out. _

_Not an obvious connection but for those of you that have read The Swim, you might want to check out chapter 17 of The Swim to see a minor edit to make another hidden connection in Sam's life. Hint: Elsa_


	39. Rescue the Kids & The Auction

**Rescue the Kids & The Auction **

* * *

_**Panin Savelievich's Bordello – Kitchen**_

Winds joined Blaze at the double doors after the kitchen staff with the exception of Nadya left. He glanced back at the woman that waited near the door because Ripsaw wanted to take her with them. He hated leaving her here unprotected but they had to move.

He said to Blaze "So now we make it to Savelievich's office?"

Blaze nodded and pulled out the map drawn by Markov. It was incomplete. They would have to wing it. Blaze said "We go this way."

Nadya had heard words she understood. She said "Savelievich's office?"

Blaze turned to the woman and said "You know where?"

Nadya didn't understand. She strode forward "Savelievich's office?"

Blaze pulled out a com-link and reached out to the woman slowly and pointed to her ear and tapped his own. He handed her the com-link. As she put it on Blaze said "Ripsaw, ask Nadya if she knows where Savelievich's office is."

Nadya's eyes widened as she heard Ripsaw. She quickly spoke to Ripsaw and communicated that she knew where his office was. With Ripsaw translating Nadya showed them on the map where it was.

Then Blaze stated "Ask her if she knows where the kids would be kept."

Blaze could not believe their good luck when Nadya gave them detailed information on where those being sold for auction were held and the secret passageways that ran behind the walls of the rooms and how they were accessible once they got to Panin's office.

When she was done she looked at them with hope in her eyes for the first time in ten years.

Winds kissed her cheek and said "Thank you Nadya."

She smiled when Ripsaw translated and then handed back the com-link when Ripsaw asked her to do so. Then she went out the back door and to the black van she was instructed to go too. She was free. She wiped her eyes of the tears as she climbed into the van. Nadya was going home.

* * *

 _ **Panin Savelievich's Bordello – Back Stairway & Second Floor **_

Blaze and Winds slipped out of the kitchen and headed for Panin's office on the second floor using the back stairway that Nadya had told them about.

Winds took point and dispatched the guard at the entrance of it with a precise throw of his K-bar. He wiped the blood on the guard's shirt after dragging him inside the stairwell.

Blaze took point up the stairs. He killed the guard at the second floor with a swift slice of his knife as his other hand clamped over his mouth. Blaze expeditiously pulled the guard into the stairwell too.

Winds and Blaze moved stealthily across the short span from the stairway to the entrance of Panin's office. Blaze came up behind one of the two guards and snapped his neck as Winds threw his knife again at the guard on the opposite side of the door.

Blaze withdrew his knife from his sheath and hoped that they could remain quiet as they entered the outer office. With hand signals he gave the command to Winds that he was going to open the door and to be ready to toss the dead guard inside. It would be their distraction.

Yanking open the door Blaze followed Winds into the room after the body fell. It worked well as a distraction as the four guards in the room looked down at their buddy's bloody body. That was their death sentence. Blaze and Winds both threw their knives at different guards as they snapped the necks of the remaining two guards.

Winds pulled the other dead guard into the outer office then shut and locked the door.

* * *

 _ **Panin Savelievich's Bordello – Panin's Office**_

Winds yanked open the door to Panin's office as Blaze was prepared to deal with any guards that might be in the room. They were in luck yet again and the room was empty.

Blaze moved forward to the panel to the secret passageways as Winds locked the door behind them.

Winds dropped his pack on the desk and opened it. He withdrew some technical hardware and sat down in Panin's chair. He whispered "It'll just take me a few minutes to get into the security cameras and see if I can find Blondie and the others."

Blaze stood guard and asked "You ready to go Ripsaw?"

"Roger. Just give me an idea which way" Ripsaw whispered back.

Winds worked rapidly and hacked into Panin's computer and pulled up the footage. "Shit" escaped his mouth as he saw live footage of Panin's gun on Blondie.

Blaze glanced over and saw Blondie on his knees puking. "What the hell?"

Winds said "One of the guards had a needle … whoa Mason? Shit. This isn't good Blaze. You should have never backed the kid's idea. Too risky."

Both Blaze and Winds stared at the video as the scene unfolded. There was nothing they could do but watch at this point.

"Hot damn, the kid did it" Blaze crowed softly as he watched Mike and Anastasia being taken out the hidden door and Blondie and Mason following Panin out of the room.

Winds chuckled "God, there will be no living with the kid now. You just created a monster Blaze. Can you imagine the crazy shit he is gonna try and get away with now."

Blaze laughed quietly and replied "Don't worry I'll keep him in line. Damn, I wish there had been audio to hear what Blondie said. Are there any cameras that will give us Mike's and Anastasia's location?"

Winds checked all the feeds and said "No cameras in the hidden passageways. I have Blondie and Mason getting into the elevator with Panin."

"Must be heading to the fifth floor. Scan it quick and see if Markov's map is even close to accurate" Blaze directed.

"Yeah pretty accurate" Winds said and then added "Seven of those twelve rooms are occupied. That means Blondie will be in one of the remaining five." Then Winds gave Ripsaw details on which five rooms it might be.

Blaze said "Get the software that Dom provided you up and running. We need to get the funds into that account for Blondie to use in the auction."

"On it" Winds said as he plugged in the hardware he brought.

Dom had given it to him and explained how to get it started. It would work automatically once started. It would locate all Panin's financial assets worldwide and transfer them into a special account. The funds would be used for Blondie to try and win the auction. After the auction the funds would be removed again from Panin's accounts and transferred into several other accounts.

Then the program would bounce the funds around from account to account until they landed in the accounts of non-profit foundations that worked around the world to better the lives of children. Each deposit would be accompanied with an email to the organization from an anonymous donor thanking them for their work and instructing them to use the funds to continue their work.

At the end of it Savelievich would be penniless, not a single asset would be left in his name. The program would then send a list of all account numbers that had deposited monies into Savelievich's account to Interpol's human trafficking division with an anonymous tip that they should check all owners of those accounts because they could be involved in the slave trade. Lastly, the program would self-destruct and trash all of Panin's data on his computer.

Once Winds started the program he checked back on the video and communicated "Ripsaw, they are going down the left hallway and into the last room. Panin and six guards are with them. There are guards on every door. Stealth is not gonna be an option to get to them if they do not win the auction. Tying channel two into Panin's frequency. It might give you a clue as to what is going on if anyone communicates."

Blaze directed "Hold unless you hear activity and need to assist. Give Blondie and Mason a chance to locate the girls and win the auction. According to Nadya, the girls should be in the center room of the auction area but it is pitch black in there and we cannot see if they are in there."

"Roger. Holding and switching to channel two" Ripsaw responded and adjusted his body in the cramped space. He was smaller but this was still a tight fit. It was a damned good thing he was not claustrophobic.

"Kill the cameras and wipe the security camera video" Blaze instructed as he went back to the secret entrance.

They were going in blind with no cameras to check if there were guards.

Winds unplugged the hardware and put it back into his pack and zipped it closed. He stood and said "Done. Dom's program is still running but funds are starting to transfer. We need to head to Mike and Anastasia."

Blaze nodded and then held his k-bar as he prepared to open the secret entrance. Winds gripped his weapon and his knife and prepared to enter and take point.

* * *

 _ **Panin Savelievich's Bordello – Elevator & Fifth Floor Foyer**_

Sam and Mason entered the elevator and it was a tight fit as three guards got in with them and Panin. They watched as Panin withdrew a chain from under his shirt. At the end was a key. He inserted the key in a lock and then turned it and pressed number five on the number pad.

"Security?" Sam asked Panin.

Panin turned and commented "Yes. With expensive merchandise one must take all sorts of theft prevention measures. You will be secure. This is the only way to the fifth floor. I hold the only key."

Nodding Sam asked "So do I get to inspect the merchandise before I bid? I don't buy unseen."

Sam was hoping that he and Mason could get close to the girls, before the auction started. Having to break into the display room like Markov had described to Blaze would be one more hurdle they would have to surmount if they did not win the auction.

The elevator pinged and the doors opened on the fifth floor as Panin stated "They will be on display. But to maintain purity no one is allowed in the room to physically examine them."

Panin then held out his hand and said "After you."

Mason and Sam stepped off the elevator into a larger foyer. There was a table with various foods and drinks set on it. The foyer had two hallways off of it and the doors in what appeared to be a large round room were all guarded.

They both were scanning the area and assessing their exit options. Panin had not been joking, there was only one way onto the fifth floor. Neither could see any stairs, there was only the elevator. The elevator needed a key to work. So they would have to get that off Panin somehow if they had to get out quickly.

Panin offered "Care for something to eat or drink?"

Still tasting the foul taste of his upchucked dinner Sam cringed and said "No thank you. Stomach's still upset from that bad fish."

Walking over to the table Panin picked up a bottle of vodka and poured two small drinks and tried to hand one to Sam. Sam put up his hands and said "Again, no thanks."

Panin's beady eyes narrowed as he said "Do not offend me again. A man offers you a drink you take it."

Sam reached out for the vodka. "Thanks."

Mason reached for the glass and took it from Blondie's hand and then stated "Il boit seulement ce que je lui verse."  
(He drinks only what I pour him.)

Chuckling, Panin took a sip then said "I can see why you want to keep your heathen. He is protective. It's not drugged. Just a small toast." He raised the glass and toasted "To the beginning of a successful business relationship."

Then Panin downed the entire contents of his glass. He stared at Maks and waited for him to do the same.

Sam took the glass from Mason. He did not want to drink it but with the firepower around him, Sam could not take the chance of offending Panin at the moment. Sam raised the glass and said "To success, may I get what I want and you get what you deserve."

He tipped his head back and slipped the vodka into his mouth without the glass touching his lips and then downed the entire contents in one gulp. It burned going down his raw throat. But at least it got rid of the foul taste in his mouth.

Sam coughed twice then got out "Good."

He hoped to god the drink was not drugged. Sam held onto the glass needing to find a way to wipe it clean of their prints.

Panin then grinned and said "I will show you to your private room. Each buyer's identity is guarded, hence all the guards at the doors. You will never see another buyer and they will never see you. That is a confidentiality service I provide my clients. Follow me please."

Sam followed and grabbed a napkin off the table as he went by it. He quickly wiped down the glass and then just let the glass drop to the floor. There was a soft thud as it hit the lush carpet and Sam was thankful it did not attract attention from Panin or any of the guards.

Mason was scanning the area wondering how Ripsaw would get to them without a key to the elevator. But then he smirked, Ripsaw was a master at locks. That would not be a problem for him. Hopefully Winds had gotten to the cameras and was able to find their location so that Ripsaw would have a direct path to them should the shit hit the fan.

They were shown to the last room at the end of the left hallway. The hallway did not circle all the way around as Sam thought it might. So they had one path out and the longest possible route. Getting out was gonna be difficult unless the auction went their way. Hell, even then it might be difficult.

* * *

 _ **Panin Savelievich's Bordello – Third Floor Kid's Room**_

Mike gathered the children together and explained that they were going to be leaving soon and that they would be taken someplace safe and reunited with their families. He needed them to do exactly as they were told. Mike noted that most of the kids were at least clothed halfway decently now except for one blonde, blue eyed boy.

He had seen the boy make sure all the little kids were dressed in the few clothes that were available. It was the boy he spoke to initially. The boy said his name was Misha and he was sixteen. Misha was only clothed in a skimpy pair of underwear that was clearly too small for him.

Misha was tall for his age but very thin. He was clearly underfed; more so than the other kids. Seeing Misha help the other kids Mike wondered if the boy gave what little food he got to the others.

Anastasia came over with Elsa still attached to her leg and asked "Are they all prepared to move when we need too?"

Mike answered "Almost." Going over to Misha, Mike gently took Misha's arm and pulled him to the other side of the room.

Misha went willingly but looked confused and a bit wary. Why was he being separated from the other kids? He wanted to ask but fear of being hit for asking stopped him. He had been hit a lot in the beginning. The guards beat him badly whenever he asked a question or fought back when men did vile, painful things to him. Misha had learned to keep his mouth shut and comply with what was expected pretty quickly.

Mike turned away from the other kids and began to strip off his clothes.

Oh no! Going home was too good to be true. This man was going to hurt him in the same way the other men did. Misha's eyes widened in fear of the pain that would come but then he glanced at the frightened kids and swallowed hard. Maybe this was the price for them getting out of here.

Misha's lower lip quivered and his voice shook with fear as he bravely stated "Я сделаю все, что вы хотите, чтобы я сделал. Но, пожалуйста, не трогайте маленьких. Они были уже достаточно больно."  
(I'll do whatever you want me to do. But please don't touch the little ones. They've been hurt enough already.)

Then Misha started to remove his skimpy underwear.

Mike froze in pulling down his pants. Ah shit! He didn't mean to scare the kid. He should have explained first.

Quickly Mike explained "Ни один Миша, я не я не собираюсь причинять тебе боль или другие. Прости, что я напугал тебя. Вам нечего надеть. Я просто хочу, чтобы дать вам что-то носить. Хорошо?"  
(No Misha, I'm not going to hurt you or the others. I'm sorry I frightened you. You have nothing to wear. I am just going to give you something to wear. Okay?)

Misha nodded but stood stock still as he tried to comprehend what was happening. This man was giving him his own clothes? Tears of gratitude filled Misha's eyes.

Mike swiftly took off his black pants and then his boxers and handed the boxers to the boy and put his pants back on. He pulled his undershirt off and handed it over too. Then Mike put his light blue button down shirt back on but didn't bother to button it knowing Blaze and Winds had his gear and he would have to take it off again anyways.

Misha smiled as he put the oversized clothes on. He had to hold onto the boxers with one hand to keep them up because they were too large for his skinny frame. But Misha's voice was full of appreciation as he wiped the tears from his eyes and said "Спасибо."  
(Thank you.)

Anastasia watched and smiled softly. When Mike and Misha returned to the group she kissed Mike's cheek and said "That was a beautiful thing you did Mike."

Mike whispered "I had a good teacher in what to do in that type of situation. I just wish I had something to tie the boxers for him so they don't fall off."

One of the girls ripped off a piece of dangling string from the tattered shirt she was wearing and handed it to Misha and smiled at him. The young girl said to Misha "При этом использовать эту функцию, чтобы связать их плотно. Спасибо Миша за всегда заботиться обо мне всех нас."  
(Here use this to tie them tight. Thank you Misha for always taking care of me of all of us.)

The blonde, blue eyed boy smiled and took the piece of string that was just long enough that he could tie the boxers so they would stay up without holding them. Misha tried to tie it but it was hard to do one handed. Another boy came over to Misha and held the boxers for Misha so that he could tie the string.

A huge grin displayed on Mike's face when his wish was granted by one of the other kids. He had seen several acts of kindness with the kids as they had dressed in the available clothes. It was clear they all looked out for each other to some extent. Mike was glad to see that this place and what happened to them had not completely jaded them, they still held onto their humanity and kindness.

Anastasia felt a tug on her dress and looked down at Elsa "Yes little one?"

Elsa pointed to Misha and said "I'm glad he has clothes now. He was nice to me. He gave me his food. He held me when I was crying for my mommy. Is he going home too?"

Mike crouched down and smiled at the precocious little girl "Yes. All of you get to go home in a little while. I promise you that."

Elsa reached out her arms to Mike wanting to be picked up. When Mike picked her up and held her close she said "You are really nice like my daddy. Not mean like the one in the room that got sick. He had blue eyes just like my daddy but he was mean. I like your blue eyes."

The grin set on Mike's face. This little girl wiggled her way into his heart as he responded to her innocent words "I like your pretty green eyes too Elsa. But you are wrong; the other blue eyed man is really nice too. He only said those mean things so you would not get hurt. Remember he stopped the bad man from hitting you. My friends and I are here to make sure you get home."

Elsa reached out and touched Mike's coppery blonde hair and said "Are you sure he is nice?"

Mike nodded wondering why Elsa was touching his hair but did not stop her as he answered "Yes little one. He is really nice too."

As she touched the nice man's hair, Elsa said in an innocent voice "His hair was the color of the nice lady. Your hair is more my daddy's color. I like your hair color better."

Then Elsa laid her head on Mike's shoulder. She felt safe with him. He reminded her of her daddy. She wanted her daddy.

Anastasia smiled. Three blonde, blue eyed guys had sure made impression on this little girl. Anastasia didn't think Elsa would ever forget them completely. But Anastasia sincerely hoped Elsa could forget most of what she had been through in the past three days and have a happy life.

She heard a noise near the door they entered through and said "Mike we have company."

Mike liked holding and comforting the little girl but he set Elsa down and said softly "I need you to go over with the other children and stay there until it is safe Elsa."

Elsa looked at the blue eyed blonde man and wanted to stay with him but she nodded. She did as he asked and ran to the others.

Misha picked up Elsa and held her protectively. The little girl reminded him of his little niece. He couldn't wait to get back home to his family and forget this ever happened.

He had been gone four months now. Misha wished he had never run away from home. His parent's rules did not seem all that bad now. Especially the curfew they set for him that he had been so mad about that he decided to run away. Misha could see now that the rules were set to keep him safe.

Anastasia and Mike prepared to handle whoever was coming in.

* * *

 _ **Panin Savelievich's Bordello – Hidden Passageway**_

Winds and Blaze had gone down instead of up at first. They wanted to check out the hidden basement room on the off chance that Dom's girls were there. It was empty. So they headed up the stairs to the third floor.

Blaze could not believe their luck at not encountering any guards in the dark passageway. The passage was very narrow, only wide enough for one man at a time. Encountering guards would have been difficult but not impossible to deal with.

They had maintained their stealth so far. They checked rooms as they went down the passageway and so far the rooms had all been empty. They appeared to be sleeping quarters for the women and men that worked in the brothel. Each room so far had contained several bunkbeds and a small closet.

Winds knelt down to pick the next lock. He stopped when he heard a sound from within. He signaled Blaze.

Blaze raised his weapon and gripped his knife in a manner that he could throw it at a target if need be when the door opened. He nodded to Winds that he was ready.

Resuming his lock picking he heard the click and then shoved his tools in his pocket. He stood and grabbed his knife with one hand as he gripped the door handle with the other. He yanked it open.

Blaze entered the room ready for anything, well almost anything. They were in the same room that Blondie and the others were in when they saw the video. On the floor was the guard that was out cold when Blondie was vomiting. He was on his knees and being made to lick up Blondie's puke as another guard had a gun trained on him.

Winds entered just after Blaze and saw the same thing. He said "Gross" as he flung his knife at the startled guard with the gun.

The knife was a direct hit to the jugular and the guard dropped to his knees as his blood gushed out. There were gurgling sounds as the man took his last breath.

Blaze stepped forward and dispatched the shocked guard on his knees with a deep slice to the neck. He said "He should thank me for saving him from finishing his job. Damn, Panin is a sick bastard."

They both headed out to the passageway again. They moved to the next doorway and Winds knelt and picked the lock again. He stood with his hand on the door waiting for Blaze's ready signal. When he got it he yanked open the door.

* * *

 _ **Panin Savelievich's Bordello – Third Floor Kid's Room**_

Mike prepared to attack as he heard the lock click. The door was yanked open. Relief flooded Mike as he said "Damn glad to see you guys."

Blaze sheathed his knife and then handed off his second pack to Mike as he looked around the room. He responded "Likewise. Is this all the kids?"

Winds took up guard on the door after an initial scan of the room. He sheathed his knife and then tossed his pack over to Anastasia and said "Your gear is in there."

Mike reported as he shed his dress shirt and pulled on a long-sleeved black shirt and his Kevlar vest "We have fifteen kids. Misha, the oldest boy said that this is all. We have a little Canadian girl here. She was snatched from her family three days ago while they vacationed at the beach." Then Mike pulled his balaclava mask on leaving only his blue eyes visible.

Anastasia kicked off her high heels and dressed quickly in black pants and boots. She pulled her dress over her head and then put on a black shirt and donned a Kevlar vest. She pulled her hair into a ponytail and with practiced ease put it into a bun and then pulled on her balaclava mask. She shoved her previous clothing into the bag and then withdrew her gun and checked it.

She looked up to find the kids wide-eyed with fear and she quickly said "Ничего не бояться. Это только, чтобы защитить вас от плохих людей."  
(Nothing to be afraid of. It is only to protect you from the bad men.)

Mike was shoving his clothes into the bag too when he pulled out his light blue dress shirt and went to one of the older girls only wearing a bra and panties. He handed it to her with a smile "Накройтесь возлюбленную."  
(Cover yourself sweetheart.)

She took the shirt with a tentative smile and put it on and buttoned it. Misha put Elsa down and helped the girl roll up the sleeves. He then took Elsa's hand and waited for what was they were supposed to do.

Anastasia asked "So do we have a good way out of here? Fifteen is a lot to keep safe if bullets start flying."

Mike attached his k-bar sheath to his belt and checked his assault rifle.

Blaze answered "We've been lucky so far. There is a hidden passageway to Panin's office and there have been no guards in it. The risky part is the move from Panin's office to the back stairway leading to the kitchen. We have not heard an alarm raised but it doesn't mean the dead guards have not been discovered. Matt and Patch are in position in the back alley."

Winds chimed in "Then we need to get going now. Get these kids out of this damned place then get back in to help Blondie, Mason and Ripsaw."

Blaze nodded and said "Winds, Mike point. Then the kids with Anastasia and I will cover the rear."

Mike quickly motioned to Misha and Misha spoke to the kids and the group headed into the passageway.

* * *

 _ **Panin Savelievich's Bordello – Fifth Floor Auction Room**_

Sam looked around the room. It was spacious but felt cramped with Panin and six of his guards in the room with him and Mason.

The floor was tiled in marble. A small bar was along the back wall. In the center of the room was an expensive looking table and five wooden, padded chairs. On the table was a machine. The last bits of furniture were four leather, overstuffed chairs positioned near a glass partition facing away from the rest of the room.

Mason went to stand near the full glass partition. It was pitch black on the other side of it. He figured that was the viewing area they had been told about. His mind was trying to work out an exit strategy if they had to fight their way out.

Sam wandered to the table to see what the machine was. He assumed that is how the bidding was done. He had the account number memorized that Dom supplied them. The one he would use for bidding.

He hoped he could win the auction and they would simply stroll out of here with the girls. Sam hoped that Winds had gotten to the computer and the program Dom supplied actually worked too. Otherwise … hell he was prepared for otherwise but hoped for the girl's sake it could be without bullets flying.

Panin went to the bar and poured more vodka for he and Maks into some fine crystal glasses. He walked to the table and handed a glass to Maks as said "The auction will begin shortly." He went to the machine and said "You simply enter your bids in this."

Sam lifted the glass and pretended to sip the vodka. He was not about to drink another damned thing. Now he had another damned glass to remove prints from too. But Sam smiled and said "Sounds easy enough."

"When bidding stops, funds must be immediately transferred to one of my holding accounts. Failure to transfer the full amount for a winning bid is dealt with harshly. So do not bid more than you have" Panin directed.

Fingering the fragile glass Sam got an idea how to dispose of it. Sam set the glass down on the edge of the table as he moved in to take a closer look at the machine. Then Sam turned and purposefully but making it look accidental bumped into the table knocking the glass to the marble floor. The fragile glass shattered into tiny pieces and scattered around the floor.

Sam looked at Panin and said "Sorry, add that to my bill."

Panin finished his drink and then his oily smile appeared. He would add it to the clumsy SOB's bill alright, at quadruple the price. He said "Не беспокойтесь о мелочью вещи, происходят несчастные случаи. Теперь, если у вас нет вопросов, пусть начинают просмотр файлов."  
(Do not worry about a trifle thing, accidents happen. Now if you have no questions, let the previewing begin.)

Sam shrugged and said "No questions. Let's begin."

Panin snapped his fingers and bright lights came on in the center room. Sam realized that the room must have microphones in addition to the cameras if the lights turned on at Panin's finger snap from in here. He turned and looked towards the lit room.

Mason clenched his fists in an effort not to react further. There were Dom's innocent girls laid out on a bed. It made his stomach turn the way they were positioned. He wanted to punch something. Hell, not something, someone, namely Panin Savelievich. But he kept his cool, now was not the time to lose it.

Sam's legs somehow carried him to the one-way mirror. His eyes were riveted on the little girls on the rotating bed on display for the sick perverts that were here to buy them. They were so still. He asked "Are they sedated?"

Panin nodded "Yes. I find that the merchandise is much easier to handle that way. Should you win you will have your docile merchandise as requested and you will be able to do what you will with them. I have rooms here if you would like to inspect your merchandise fully. I can also arrange shipment of your goods anywhere you wish."

His stomach threatened to relieve itself of the vodka he had drunk as Sam listened to Panin's dehumanizing terms for two sweet little girls. It took everything Sam had not to react.

Sam turned away from the girls as he held tightly to the Maks persona he had to project. He smiled and said "I will take them with me when I leave. Thank you for the offer of a room but I prefer to take them to my own place."

Grinning Panin stated "I trust they was what you are looking for?"

"They'll do. Let's get the auction started" Sam said as he walked to the table. He withdrew a pair of gloves from his pocket and put them on as he said "Cannot be too careful. I like my anonymity. The Canada debacle taught me I have to be more careful in my dealings. I hope you do not take offence."

Panin chuckled "You will have to tell me about that sometime Maks. I understand the need for security, so no offence taken."

Then Panin stated "Начало торгов."  
(Begin the bidding.)

Sam watched the machine and saw bids entered by six buyers. He waited a moment to see what the highest bid was and then topped it by ten percent. Instantly, five of the six bidders topped his bid. Sam entered a new bid. This time three buyers bid higher. Sam entered another new bid and then continued to enter bids as the other buyers bid higher than him.

The bidding went on for ten minutes as one by one buyers dropped out. It was down to Sam and one other bidder. Every time the other bidder entered a higher number Sam responded with a higher amount. Sam thought whoever this other bidder was they must have very deep pockets because the price was astronomical.

Sam put in another bid. He wanted to end this and get the hell out of dodge. So he entered a bid fifty percent higher than the other buyer. He waited for a counter bid as the bidding timer ticked down. Sam was beginning to think he had won when another bidder that did not partake in the bidding war entered an offer higher than his.

"Damn" Sam said as he wiped the sweat from his brow and then entered another higher bid.

Panin grinned as he looked on. His Arabic Prince always waited to bid until it was down to the wire and all bidders but one were left. Prince Abdur Raqeeb Sattar, was the youngest son of five and therefore a minor Prince with little prospect of ever ruling. But he had access to the vast fortune and spent liberally to indulge his sexual appetite. He also delighted in swooping in and winning the bid, which he always did. No one could match his resources.

Rubbing his hands together, Panin was so excited. Never had he had a bidding war quite like this one. He was making a fortune off this sale. Hell, this auction alone would nearly double his bottom line. He was really glad he had cut out the Yurievich brothers. Giving up twenty-five percent of this amount would have stuck in his craw a long time.

Sam entered another bid and prayed that the account Dom provided them had this much money in it. He waited for another bid. Sam glanced at Mason and gave a hand signal to be ready and indicated which two guards he was targeting. If he did not win the auction they would have to take action.

Mason saw Blondie's signal and calculated which of the remaining four guards he needed to take out first. He nonchalantly moved position so he was closer to the two larger guards. He would take them out first. Then help Blondie with the rest. Mason hoped Ripsaw was near.

Watching the bidding timer tick down, Sam stretched a moment as he said "Three, two, one …" the timer displayed zero and Sam smiled "Ha, they're mine."

Panin stepped forward and said "Not quite yet. There is the matter of the funds transfer. If that does not go through then the second bidder wins and you will have seen your last free day on this earth because you will be sold in the the next auction."

As Panin sat at the table one of his guard brought a laptop to him and Panin asked "Account number please."

Sam rattled off the memorized number. He positioned himself ready to react if necessary. It was then that they all heard shouting and something slamming into a wall. It was a language Sam had heard before but did not understand. There were more crashing sounds and shouting.

Panin's face paled. Shit the Prince was not happy about losing the auction. He turned to Maks and said "Maks, I think you have just created an enemy. Prince Abdur Raqeeb Sattar does not like to lose."

Mason glanced at Blondie. That could be a problem getting out of here.

* * *

 _ **Panin Savelievich's Bordello – Kitchen**_

Winds guarded the double doors into the kitchen as the last of the kids headed out to the vans with Mike and Anastasia. They had gotten through the passageway with the kids with no problem.

In Panin's office Winds had checked the transfer of the funds and was glad to see that it had completed. If Blondie won the auction then he would not encounter any difficulties with funds to pay. Once the funds hit Panin's account again the rest of the program would take over and distribute them to the charities.

They had a couple of close calls getting the kids across that short span between the office and the back stairs. Mike had to take out one guard, slicing his neck as the guard had grabbed one of the kids scurrying across. Mike dragged the guard into the stairwell.

The kid's small scream at seeing the guard die brought another guard. Anastasia was damned good too. She snapped his neck before he could alert other guards. After that they managed to get them all into the stairs and down to the kitchen without further problems.

Anastasia and Mike took the kids out in groups of five to the vans. Blaze went with the first group and remained at the van's on guard until the last group got there. Then Blaze would head back inside to Winds. Mike and Anastasia would stay with the vans on guard until the rest of the unit got there.

Winds turned as Blaze reentered the kitchen and closed the back door. He reported "I was listening to channel two. The auction just finished. Blondie won."

Blaze nodded and said "We wait then. If they have problems getting out we will certainly know it."

.

* * *

 _ **AN: Would love to hear from some of my many anonymous readers.** Let me know what you think of story. _

_**Huge thanks to all those that regularly provide me reviews.** I love reading them._

 _ **To Guest reviewer** **Everlost101:** I have plans for Sam and Elsa to meet in a future story. It might also involve Mike. Elsa and Sam did not recognize each other in The Swim. It was hidden connection like when Sam ran across Darren Kovac's dad at the soup kitchen in Sam's Second Thanksgiving with Team One._


	40. Prince, Drugged & Firefight Off the 5th

**Prince, Drugged & Firefight Off the 5** **th** **Floor**

* * *

 _ **Panin Savelievich's Bordello – Fifth Floor Auction Room**_

Sam wiped the sweat off his brow again. Why was he sweating? He coughed and his raw throat from puking burned. He tried to maintain his façade of Maks as he waited for the funds to transfer.

Panin said "Not sure what is up with the computer system today. It is taking longer than normal. Oh and by the way, I added in the additional five thousand for your insults."

He didn't bother explain that he also added one thousand for the broken glass. Panin estimated the crystal glass cost about a hundred dollars but a grand seemed fitting. Maks would never know anyways with what Panin had planned for him.

Sam looked at Panin and said "Yeah, sure, no problem." Then Sam asked "Are you in the habit of telling buyers each other's names? I thought you said you kept things confidential. Who is this Prince Abdur Raqeeb Sattar?"

Panin laughed "Oh right. Um, well I guess his identify will remain confidential. So will yours. No one will ever know you were here."

He was playing a dangerous game with the Prince but it was so gonna be worth it. This cocky SOB that had insulted him was going to pay. Not the five thousand he had agreed too but so much more and the Prince would appreciate his efforts in the end. The Prince had a wide range of sexual appetites. The girls in the display room were one of them. But this pretty boy was more the Prince's type.

Panin grinned thinking that lying and sleight of hand were so useful in his line of work. He had no qualms lying through his teeth and he did it so well. He did it with the Yurievich brothers and then again with Maks in that room. In the room, he let Maks think that everything was kosher and his insults were mollified with only five grand.

But insults could not go unpunished. He would kill the heathen and then take care of Maks differently. He would learn you didn't insult Panin Savelievich.

His skill in sleight of hand helped him often in dealing with difficult buyers. He could appear to pour from the same bottle of vodka but then add a little something extra to the glass without ever being detected.

Panin was a bit ticked off that Maks had not drunken the second lethal dose. But with what Maks had drunk, it would be enough to still make him fairly sick and make him wish he was dead. Normally, he would have just dosed with a sedative. But Maks had to pay for the insolence he had shown.

Mason glanced at Blondie seeing the sweat bead on his forehead. Then he saw the small trickle of blood starting to flow from Blondie's nose.

Sam felt his mouth begin to salivate as nausea hit him. What the hell? He put a hand on his stomach as he turned over Panin's words. Something wasn't what it seemed to be. He glanced at Mason.

He felt the trickle of something from his nose and wiped at it. Blood? His mind quickly latched onto the vodka. It had been drugged. God dammit.

Sam demanded angrily "What the hell did you put in the vodka?"

Mason stayed where his was. He needed to handle the larger guards. But Blondie was not looking so good. Ah shit, the vodka. It was drugged. With what?

Panin ignored Maks as he rubbed his hands together when the transfer of funds completed and said to a guard "Принеси принца Саттара."  
(Go get Prince Sattar.)

One guard left the room quickly to do as bid.

"Why are you bringing the Prince in here?" Sam asked as he fought the rising nausea.

Panin's oily smile came to his face as he said "To tell him he won the girls by default of course. I will get double the money for the girls. I got your money but will tell him the funds transfer failed. He will be so pleased. You are just his type, a pretty boy. So, I will make a present of you to him."

Mason raged "Like hell you will!" as he lunged at Panin. He added "Blondie, faigh na caileagan agus a 'dol."  
(Blondie, get the girls and go.)

Panin was shocked as the heathen lunged at him for a second time today. However, he was more shocked that the heathen spoke English. But he managed to evade him as one of his larger guards stepped forward drawing his gun.

Mason wrestled with the large guard in a fight to turn the gun from him. Mason snapped the man's wrist as he turned the gun and the gun discharged shooting the guard in the chest. Mason ripped the gun out of his hand and shot him between the eyes.

When Mason yelled, Sam reacted and quickly dispatched a shocked guard near him by snapping his neck. He grabbed the guard's gun and shot the remaining three guards dead center between the eyes before they even had time to react. Sam picked up a wooden chair and smashed the one-way mirror. He felt the bile rise and swallowed it down fighting not to gag.

Mason glanced at Blondie quickly. They needed to know what was in the vodka. He grabbed Panin and ripped the chain holding the key off of Panin's neck and tossed it to Blondie.

Sam caught the key and moved toward the girls. He made it to the bed. His nose was dripping blood but he could not take time to wipe it as he picked up Anna-Marie and then Nicolette. He headed back to the room.

Mason held Panin's throat as he choked him slightly "What was in the vodka you bastard."

Panin laughed "You won't get out of here alive. My guards will mow you down the moment you step foot outside the door."

"What did you put in his drink?" Mason growled again with murderous intent in his eyes.

Sam struggled to make it to the room as they heard automatic gunfire erupt in the hallway. He hoped that was Ripsaw. He was feeling really sick now. Sam said "I can't carry them both. I need your help" as he put the girls in one of the leather chairs.

Wiping his bloody nose on his white sleeve, Sam leveled the gun at Panin's head and said "Tell me what was in the vodka and I let you live. You see I don't miss."

Panin paled as he glanced at the three dead guards with perfect head shots. Maks had been so damned fast none of them had even gotten their guns unholstered. Panin stammered out "A concoction of things with a bit of diquat."

The mirror from an adjoining room shattered into pieces and in short order eight angry looking men blocked their exit via the display room. To Mason's and Sam's dismay it was not the unit. But on the plus side none of them had guns.

Sam stepped in front of the girls in a protective manner. He turned his gun on the most likely target and said "Prince Sattar, I presume."

Abdur Sattar had gotten used to incorrect references to him as a Prince by Westerners. They really were ignorant of the correct term. He was Sheikh Abdur Raqeeb Sattar. As a male member of the royal family he should be referred to as Sheikh just like his father Sheikh Omar Fahad Sattar. The only one that should be referred to as Prince, or more correctly Crown Prince was his eldest brother Sheikh Ismad Baasid Sattar. But he let that slide with ignorant Westerners.

Panin yelled "Kill them. Kill them now."

"Who do you wish to kill whom?"Abdur asked in a low angry tone.

Panin demanded "Kill the cocky SOB and his heathen. You out number them."

Abdur looked at the blonde man with the gun aimed at him and then back at Panin "Who is the blonde?"

"The one who out bid you, Maks Gennadiyevich" Panin said. "You won the bid, the girls are yours once you pay for them. I was going to make you a gift of him to you because his funds transfer failed. But then he attacked" Panin lied.

Sam felt the sweat dripping down his face and he had to wipe it to keep it out of his eyes. His stomach was clenching in pain and he wanted so badly to throw up. But he kept his gun trained on the Prince. He had to protect the girls. He could not fail.

The short bursts of gunfire raging in the hallway did not seem to be letting up. It was a bit surreal to Sam that none of Panin's guards had entered the room from the hall. Where were Panin's armed guards? Then he thought, Ripsaw must have them pinned down good.

Abdur looked again at the blonde. He was infuriated but he smiled. The blonde was pretty. But he turned to Panin and adjusted the cufflinks on his shirt like he didn't have a care in the world. Anyone that knew Sattar well knew that was a sign he was burning with rage inside.

In a too calm voice, Sattar related "You have been deceived Panin. This is not Maks Gennadiyevich."

Panin shouted "Yes he is."

Abdur Sattar shook his head slowly thinking that Panin was not the sharpest scimitar in the armory. Panin's greed blinded him and made him act stupidly. That had normally worked in Sattar's favor.

Sattar enlightened Panin "I know for a fact that he is not Maks Gennadiyevich. Maks is … how shall I say … a _very_ close and _personal_ friend. I was here to acquire the girls for him since he is stuck in Canada. You have been fooled. He looks a bit like Maks, although he is much younger and much prettier than Maks."

Sam thought, great, just fucking great. How much worse could this get? He let his cockiness come out in full force "Panin lied to you. My funds transfer went through. He was gonna charge you for the girls too. Do not move while we leave with the girls and you will live. Otherwise you die here and now Prince Sattar. I do not miss."

Abdur turned his glare on Panin as he said "So you thought you could deceive me Panin? That is a dangerous game you were playing. Your greed has exposed me in this situation. That will be your downfall. No one crosses me."

Mason applied pressure to Panin's throat and choked him out as he tried to speak. Then Mason said "I'll sweeten the deal. You can have Panin and all his assets. We leave him to you to do with as you wish but we take the girls."

"I think …" Abdur started to say but the door burst open at that moment.

Ripsaw entered and surveyed the room as he leveled his automatic rifle at the unarmed men he did not know. Quickly he stated "We gotta go."

Mason let Panin fall to the floor and went to Ripsaw and opened the pack. He pulled out his knife and tucked into his waist at the back. Mason grabbed his handgun next and shoved it in the side of his waist and then took four Kevlar vests, two of them were very tiny. He set three down and quickly donned his vest. Then he pulled out an assault rifle.

Abdur looked at the three armed men. Odds were against him at the moment. He was prone to violent outbursts when he was mad, but he had time to rein in his outburst from earlier. His head was cooler now than before even though he was still angry.

Before the door opened he had been about to say 'I think you might kill one or two of my guards but you will be dead when I reach you'. But now with three armed and those assault rifles, Sattar figured it was better to appear to retreat and live then regroup and eliminate them.

Sattar shrugged and changed what he had intended to say before "I do not have the means to kill you at the moment. Therefore, there is nothing I can do to stop you from leaving. But should I ever see any of you again you will most assuredly be dead."

Mason picked up the three other vests and stepped to the leather chair and handed Blondie his vest and said "Put it on. I'll cover you." Then Mason aimed the assault rifle at the Prince.

Abdur sneered at Mason and said "Those vests won't save you when I do decide to come after you."

Mason and Sam ignored the comment as Sam lowered his gun and pulled his Kevlar vest on as quickly as he could. He continued to fight the desire to throw up. After Sam cinched his vest tight he wiped his sweaty forehead with his sleeve and then aimed his acquired handgun at the Prince once again.

When Blondie was done Mason handed him the assault rifle as he said "Here, this is better in your hands. I got the girls."

Sam kept the rifle and the handgun trained on the men in front of him. Unless they presented a threat, Sam would not fire on an unarmed man.

Mason quickly put the vests on the girls and then hoisted one in each arm. Then Mason headed for Ripsaw who was at the door keeping guard.

Sam started to back up towards the door. His stomach wrenched with a sharp pain and he bent slightly as nausea hit him at the same time. For a split second his eyes left the men in front of him.

As the pain lessened Sam's eyes returned to the men. He saw one of the Prince's guards start to lunge forward at him. Sam shot him between the eyes and then he reiterated "I told you I never miss. Stay here and no one else dies."

Abdur leered at Sam as he said "Perhaps if I see you again you will not die. You are too pretty to kill. Much better uses for you. Unarmed and tied up of course."

The intent of the words was clear. Raw memories of the rapes he suffered swam into Sam's head. Sam's eyes turned to ice as his brow furrowed into a death glare and his voice was a low deadly growl "If I ever see you again you will be dead."

When Sam made it to the door, Ripsaw quietly asked "Blondie, you want point?"

Mason interjected "He's not up to it. He's been drugged with something I've never heard of."

Sam refocused on the task and away from the memories the Prince had dredged up and responded "I got point. Ripsaw you watch our six." Then he moved to the door as Ripsaw turned to face the Prince and his men.

Stepping out into the hallway Sam shot a short burst of bullets at three men hiding behind a pillar. One fell as the other two started to run. Sam took out both of them with single shots. Mason shifted the girls into one arm and pulled out his handgun.

Then the trio began to make their way down the long hall. They stepped over the plethora of dead bodies and removed the ammo clips from the dead guard's weapons as they went. Behind them were the Prince and his men. They had been unarmed and the guys wanted to ensure they stayed that way.

They made it to the end of the hall then a hail of bullets was fired at them.

The guys dove for cover behind a double concrete pillar and a large potted tree. Mason put the girls against the wall and shielded them with his body as Ripsaw and Sam shielded Mason and the faced outward covering both the front and back of them.

Panin's guards had entrenched themselves behind the overturned food tables near the elevators. Their exit to the elevator was blocked. With the number of guards there it was not good odds to get the girls to the elevator safely. Too many bullets would be flying.

Ripsaw said "Damn, no easy way to the dumbwaiter."

"Dumbwaiter?" Mason asked.

"Yeah, see that little box in the wall. That's how I got up here unnoticed. If it were accessible the girls could safely be lowered down to the kitchen" Ripsaw explained.

Sam wiped the sweat from his eyes and the dripping blood from his nose. His stomach was on fire and he needed to puke. Sam bent over in pain and a soft moan escaped unwanted. He swallowed the bile again.

Then Sam handed the key to Mason and said "I'll draw their fire you and Ripsaw get the girls to the elevator."

Mason said "Blondie you are in no shape to do that."

Sam glared at Mason "I cannot carry them. You have to get them out of here. Don't let me fail."

Ripsaw said "I'll draw their fire. You go with Mason."

"I'm overwatch. This is my job. Let me do my fucking job" Sam challenged then wiped at his nose that would not stop bleeding. What the hell was he drugged with?

Mason looked at Ripsaw. He didn't like it one damned bit. The guards were only firing potshots for the moment so they had a minute to think. Mason saw Ripsaw's com-link and asked "You got more of those?"

Ripsaw shifted his pack and reached in and pulled out two com-links. He handed them to Mason and Blondie. Then he switched from channel two to channel one.

Mason called out "Blaze you there?"

Blaze answered "Yes. Sitrep."

"We are pinned down. At least thirteen heavily armed are blocking our path out. We got a bunch of unarmed hostiles behind us too. You need a key for the elevator to get to the fifth floor. Can you get to the elevator and can Winds override it? We could hit them in a two pronged approach."

Winds snorted "Can I override it? Does a cow have teats?"

Blaze answered "Hold tight, on our way."

Sam bent over and puked unable to hold it in anymore. It was nothing more than watery bile that came out. When he was done his throat was burning and he was sweating more. He felt like crap.

Mason said quietly over the com-link "Patch, Blondie's not doing so good. He was drugged with a concoction of something. We have no idea what was in it except for something called diquat."

Patch asked "Symptoms?"

Mason looked at Blondie.

Sam answered "Sweating, nausea, burning pain in my throat and gut, bloody nose."

Patch said "Okay I'll see what I can find out about it."

* * *

 _ **Panin Savelievich's Bordello – Main Room**_

Winds and Blaze had made their way slowly and stealthily from the kitchen to the main room. They heard the exchange between Mason, Blondie and Patch. Damn. Both knew that they needed to get there quickly now. Blondie could be in real trouble.

Blaze stated "Stealth no longer an option. We need to cause confusion to get there fast."

Winds pulled out several flashbangs and smoke bombs and two masks from his pack. He handed one mask to Blaze.

Smiling Blaze said "Ripsaw was thinking ahead. Gotta love that guy."

Winds chuckled "He sure does love things that go boom."

They donned their masks and each took four and pulled the pins tossing them in several directions. The cacophony of blast sounds and bright flashes of light along with the smoke sent the main room occupants into a chaotic scramble for exits.

Blaze and Winds moved rapidly through the panicked people as they continued to toss smoke bombs and flashbangs. They made it to the elevator just as it opened and several guards stepped out. They dispatched the guards to the hereafter and entered the elevator. Blaze pressed the button to close the doors.

Then Winds went to work on the panel. He pried it off and then quickly traced several wires and snipped them. Winds then wired others together. He smiled as he pressed number 5.

He called out "On our way to you."

Blaze directed "Be ready. I'll call out our arrival and we hit at the same time."

Mason responded "Roger."

* * *

 _ **Alley Behind Panin Savelievich's Bordello**_

Matt did not like what he heard. Sam was drugged. He and Patch had their com-links muted so they did not distract the guys inside. Matt asked through the open window of the van to Patch "What the hell is diquat?"

Patch was pulling up information on his phone. "Don't have a fucking clue. Never heard of it before." The connection was really slow but finally it came up. He quickly read through it.

He turned to Matt and answered "It is a nonselective, fast-acting desiccant herbicide. Depending on how much he ingested it can be lethal."

Matt asked "Do you have what you need to treat him?"

Patch was reading the treatment for diquat poisoning and his expression darkened as his brows furrowed with concern "Shit I don't have what I need. I need to find a clinic or hospital and acquire some things."

Matt looked at Mike and said "We gotta get whatever Patch needs."

Mike nodded and pulled out his phone and called Dom. He quickly explained then handed the phone to Patch and said "Tell him what you need."

Patch said "What I need is to know where the closest clinic or hospital is. I cannot wait until we get to the plane to begin treatment. Time is critical."

 _[Dom knew the area well after doing all his recon. He said "The closest one is on ul. Suleymana Stalskogo about half mile from your position." Dom gave Patch the directions then hung up._

 _He was almost to the airport. He began rethinking the plans. If Sam was in trouble medically perhaps they should head directly to Kandahar instead of the flight to France like they had planned.]_

Mike looked at Patch and said "Let's go. You tell me what you are looking for and I can find it."

Anastasia got into the driver's seat as Patch got out.

Patch quickly told Matt the directions and then said "If they come out before we return, then the van with Blondie in it needs to meet us at clinic. The other van should proceed to rendezvous point and we'll follow shortly."

Matt said "Got it."

Patch and Mike raced off into the dark of night towards the clinic.

Matt turned to the Cherry Club as he heard explosions. He focused and listened to the unit inside but said "Button up the van Anastasia. We may have a flood of people exiting in a moment." Then Matt closed the window of his van and picked up his weapon and prepared to fend off anyone that might try to overtake the van.

* * *

 _ **Panin Savelievich's Bordello – Fifth Floor Foyer**_

Sam, Ripsaw and Mason all prepared for Blaze's and Winds' entrance.

Mason hoisted the girls in his arms. He would not be firing a weapon. His only goal was to run to the elevator as fast as he could and get the girls out of the line of fire. Blondie, Ripsaw, Blaze and Winds would laydown cover fire for him.

As he situated the girls Mason asked "Blondie how you holding?"

"Okay" Sam answered as he checked his clips. He held in a groan as his stomach clenched again. Giving in to puking before had helped slightly with the desire to puke again.

Ripsaw shifted slightly and said "The Prince and his men are coming."

"Shit" both Mason and Sam said.

Blaze called out "Fourth floor. Be ready."

Sam shifted ready to fire.

"Go" Blaze called out as the elevator dinged and the doors began to open.

Sam stood and began firing short bursts at the guards in the foyer. Ripsaw sent a volley of bullets towards the Prince's men scattering them as they rushed for cover.

Blaze and Winds stepped out of the elevator with their guns aimed at the guards hiding behind the tables and fired off a hail of bullets. The guards were surprised to be hit from two sides and began firing at both locations. Mason ran with his back turned towards the guards to protect the girls as best he could as the rest of the guys continued to draw the fire.

Sam stepped out from behind the pillar and moved forward as he began picking off heads that peaked above the tables. Ripsaw was at his back taking out the Prince's men as they continued to move forward. A few of them had picked up weapons the guys must have missed and began firing. The two of them moved slower than Mason across the foyer.

They had gone a quarter of the way when Mason made it to the elevator. Blaze lobbed a flashbang and a smoke bomb behind the table then continued to fire at the guards.

As the flashes blinded and the bangs disoriented the guards and the smoke started to billow providing a bit of cover Sam and Ripsaw headed for the elevator.

Sam was laying down a barrage of bullets to keep the guards behind the tables. His rifle clicked and Sam knew he was out ammo. Sam tossed the rifle down and began firing with the handgun.

They were only half way to the elevator and the smoke was getting thick when Ripsaw's scream stopped Sam in his tracks. He turned and Ripsaw was on the ground. He was gripping his lower leg and Sam could see the blood seeping between Ripsaw's fingers.

Sam called out "Got ya buddy" as he reached down to grab the back of Ripsaw's vest.

Through the smoke Sam saw the Prince emerge with his gun leveled at Ripsaw's head.

Abdur Sattar sneered "Told you I'd kill you if I ever saw you again."

Sam reacted instantly and his gun came up and fired off a single round. It hit dead center between the Prince's shocked eyes.

As the Prince's body crashed to the ground Sam retorted "Told you I never miss."

Then Sam grabbed the back of Ripsaw's vest and quickly dragged him towards the elevator as Blaze and Winds continued to fire.

* * *

 _ **Panin Savelievich's Bordello – Elevator**_

Sam made it to the elevator and pulled Ripsaw in. Blaze and Winds stepped in and Sam hit the close door button as Blaze continued to fire at the guards. The doors closed and the guys could hear bullets pinging the metal as the elevator started to descend.

Blaze hit the emergency stop button so the unit could assess Ripsaw and regroup. They were safe in here between floors for a few moments.

Winds dropped to Ripsaw and said "How bad?"

Ripsaw was grimacing and rocking as he applied pressure to his lower leg. "Bad enough. Don't think I can bear weight on it."

None of them had pressure bandages so Sam ripped off his vest and then unbuttoned his shirt and handed to Winds. As Winds tied it tightly around Ripsaw's calf, Sam put his vest back on.

Blaze directed quickly "Winds you take Ripsaw. Give your rifle to Blondie and I'll take your pack. I'll take point then Winds and Mason. Blondie you have our six. We're getting off on three and taking the hidden passage. That should be safer for the girls than going through the main room."

Winds handed his rifle to Blondie and pack to Blaze. Then he hoisted Ripsaw up on his shoulder in a fireman carry. It would be faster that way. Winds pulled out his handgun.

Ripsaw positioned himself so he could fire his hand gun. His rifle lay on the floor of the foyer. He was pissed at himself for getting hit. But to be honest he was a bit surprised only he was hit with the intensity of that firefight to get off the fifth floor.

Sam doubled over in pain as a groan escaped though he tried not to let it. He forced himself upright and then looked at Blaze who was eyeing him with concern. "I'm okay."

Mason snorted "Like hell you are."

"I can do this. We need to get the girls out of here. That is the priority. I refuse to fail them" Sam retorted and then clenched his jaw to stop any more groans from escaping.

Blaze hit the release and pressed the number three and the elevator began to descend again. His unit was getting out of here alive with the girls. They would deal with Ripsaw's wound and Blondie's drugging once they made it the vans. They had no other choice.

* * *

 _ **Panin Savelievich's Bordello – Third Floor**_

The elevator pinged and Blaze and Sam positioned themselves to take out any guards that might be on the third floor. It was clear. Blaze headed out first followed by Winds carrying Ripsaw, Mason carrying the girls and Sam bringing up the rear.

Blaze tried the first door and found it locked. As they moved down the hall he tried several doors. All were locked until he tried the fourth one. He stepped in and sighed.

All the guys entered the room and then Sam locked the door behind them. He turned and saw two dead guards on the floor. This was the room he had puked in before. He leaned on the wall a moment and wiped at his bloody nose again. He wished the slow trickle of blood would stop. Sam placed his hand on his stomach as a burning pain gripped it.

Blaze called out "Matt we are heading into the passage. What is the situation in the back alley?"

Matt answered, "Patch and Mike have gone for supplies. We've had a few people exit the back but they ran down the alley. Those flashbangs and smoke will be drawing the police and possibly the fire department shortly."

Blaze looked at Blondie and asked "How ya holding kid?"

"Holding. Can we go now?" Sam said pushing down nausea again.

Carefully opening the hidden door Blaze checked both directions and found it clear. He waved to the others and they headed into the passageway in the same order as before.

As Sam passed the guard near his earlier puke he said "Gross."

Winds chuckled "It was grosser before. That guy was being made to lick it up."

That turned Sam's stomach and he heaved. Only a bit of watery bile came out and he spit then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and entered the passageway. He could do this. He could make it out under his own power.

Sam covered their rear walking backwards with one hand on his hurting stomach and the other holding the rifle prepared to shoot if necessary.


	41. Clinic, Zero?, Airport & No Ammo Left

**Clinic, Zero?, Airport & No Ammo Left**

* * *

 _ **Clinic**_

Patch and Mike were both glad to find the clinic closed. There would be fewer problems to sneak in without a ton of people around. Mike quickly picked the lock and they both slipped in.

Mike and Patch headed through the waiting area to the back and Mike had to pick another lock to get into the treatment area. Once in the back he began scanning the signage trying to locate the pharmacy.

He stopped at one door and grinned as he picked the lock. "Here we are."

Patch slipped into the darkened room and found the light switch. He had to risk turning on the lights. They needed to be able to see clearly to gather the right items.

He stated "The most important thing we need is bentonite, Fuller's Earth or activated charcoal. Lots of it. Also need several bags of saline. I have some but not enough." Then Patch listed off the chemicals he needed to be able to test Blondie's urine to determine the level of diquat in it.

Patch sincerely hoped the level was low because the kidney was the principal excretory pathway for diquat absorbed into the body. If the amount was high there would be renal damage. He had read that with diquat poisoning proteinuria, hematuria and pyuria may progress to renal failure and azotemia. Elevations of serum alkaline phosphatase, AST, ALT and LDH reflect liver injury.

His only hope of saving Blondie's life was if the dose he had gotten was low and Patch was able to administer an adsorbent. He needed to decontaminate Blondie's GI immediately with bentonite, Fuller's Earth or activated charcoal. The first two were more effective but Patch wasn't sure if this clinic would have them. But the clinic should have activated charcoal.

After that was done the only other things he could do for Blondie would be to prevent dehydration and maintain urinary output by administering IV fluids and managing his pain. The reference gave the doses for morphine. But he could not give Blondie morphine. Patch was glad the med pack that he was provided on the Learjet had come prepared with Blondie's special pain meds.

Patch grabbed a urinal with measurement markings. He would have to monitor Blondie's urinary output closely in order to gauge if his kidneys were shutting down.

Mike gathered the items quickly and had just grabbed bentonite when they heard Winds ask Ripsaw how bad. They shared a look. Shit, Ripsaw was hit.

When Patch heard Ripsaw say that he could not bear weight, Patch began grabbing bandages, a splint and a few other items just in case he needed them. He had a minimal med pack with him. Patch was glad whoever packed it had included Blondie's pain meds though. He wondered who packed it and how they knew to include Blondie's special meds.

Patch called out to Mike "Grab some more saline and morphine. I want to be covered if any more of them get hit."

Mike nodded and headed back to the narcotics section.

Patch was near the door when it opened and a night security guard stepped in and yelled at Mike to freeze. Patch came up behind him and put the man in a rear naked chokehold cutting off the flow of blood. He held it a moment longer as the security guard went limp in his arms. Patch bent and laid the unconscious guard on the floor. He did not want to kill him so he had only choked him out.

Mike looked at Patch and then down at the security guard as he came back with the morphine "Nice. He's gonna have a bit of headache when he wakes I think."

Patch chuckled and said "At least he will wake."

Mike held each item and translated it from Russian to English as he handed it to Patch as Patch double checked that he had gathered everything Patch needed. "That's everything" Mike stated.

"Thanks Mike" Patch said as he put the last item in the pack and zipped it up.

Patch slipped it back on as Mike turned off the light and they exited the room closing the door behind them. They reversed their path and were out of the clinic in no time flat.

Both poured on the speed as they ran back towards the Cherry Club.

* * *

 _ **Panin Savelievich's Bordello – Fifth Floor Auction Room & Foyer**_

Panin stirred on the floor. His head hurt terribly. He pushed his considerable girth up to a sitting position and looked around him. Things were eerily quiet in the room. Only his dead guards and one of the Prince's men were in the room with him.

He got to his knees and crawled to the table and used it to pull himself up. Panin wandered into the hall and saw the dead bodies of all his guards. He picked up one of the guns. It had no clip but there was one in the chamber. He headed down the hall.

Rage was building inside him. That cocky SOB was responsible for all of this. As he headed down the hall he pulled out his phone and called his paid off police contact. He would need to cover his ass. There was no way all the gunfire had gone unnoticed.

He spoke in Russian and told his police contact that he needed to get here and cover his ass. Not knowing the real name of the blonde responsible for all of this he told the cop the only name he had for him, Ivkin Maxim Gennadiyevich. He said the man and his massively large bodyguard went nuts and shot up his club and killed nearly two dozen people. Panin then provided detailed descriptions of both of them. He would leave it to his police contact on how to spin it. That's what he paid him for anyways.

Panin stopped in the foyer and saw a few guards still alive but they were all bleeding from various gunshot wounds. The air was smoky and as he turned he saw the Prince dead on the ground. Dammit. That was not good, the Prince was his best customer.

He saw two of the Prince's guards nursing wounds to their arms. One was on the phone and speaking in Arabic which Panin did not understand. Even though he did not understand what was being said he could hear the animosity and see the glares of the men.

Perhaps it would be better to just shoot them. But Panin realized he only had one bullet and the guards were each holding a gun.

Panin decided to back off and quickly headed back to his laptop in the auction room. Maybe they were just angry the Prince was killed by Maks. He didn't kill the Prince so he would be okay. The Prince's guards would have shot him already if they held him responsible.

However, Panin figured he would need to disappear for a while until the heat was off. There were too many dead and he would need time to track down that Maks and make him pay. Panin headed back to the auction room to his laptop. He needed to transfer his funds so he could make a quick getaway.

As he entered the room again the first thing Panin did was go to a hidden panel and pull out a burner phone, a wad of cash and a fake passport. He pulled out his spare elevator key too. Then he went to the table and pulled a chair to it and sat down. He set the gun down on the table and turned his laptop around it to access his funds.

Panin typed in his password to get into his secret account. He stared at the balance. Zero? What the hell was going on?

He quickly accessed each and every one of his accounts and his rage increased as he looked at the zero balance of each and every one of them. He was gonna kill the cocky SOB. He knew for a fact that cocky SOB was at the root of this but he could not understand how or why.

Why pretend to be Maks just to steal … then it hit him like a ton of brick. Those girls belonged to a former SAS operative.

"Shit!" exploded from his mouth as he thought he was a dead man. He had to get out of here quickly.

Panin turned and started for the door but was stopped in his tracks as the Prince's two guards blocked the door. In his rush to leave he left the gun on the table. He said "You need to leave quickly. Cops are on their way."

One of the guard said "Sheikh Abdur Raqeeb Sattar's father wishes a word with you regarding his son's death. You will be coming with us to explain what happened."

Panin grinned. He had a way out after all. He could lay low in the Prince's palace. He would be beyond the authorities here if his police contact could not smooth things over.

He could also tell the Prince's father all about the ruse that was played on him and how he was the victim. The father would want revenge for his son's death. He would help Panin get that cocky SOB. And while they were doing that he would live in luxury in the palace.

Panin said "Fine let's go. I have an elevator key that will take us to the underground garage."

* * *

 _ **Makhachkala Airport**_

Dom made his way into the airport. He would go through customs and then get the plane ready to take off. If the unit was successful they would rendezvous with Sister Mary Catherine to put the other children they rescued into her care.

Sister Mary Catherine and the other sisters would ensure that each and every child rescued was well taken care of. They would work to discover the families of the kids and if their home situation was good they would reunite them. If the homes were unsuitable or the parents did not want them then the sisters would ensure the children were placed with loving families.

Some of the funds had been transferred into an account specifically to be used for helping the children rescued from Panin's house of horrors. Those kids would need emotional support to recover from the abuse they suffered. Simply getting them out was not enough. Dom wanted to make sure that each child had what he or she would need to put their past behind them and move forward to have happy and productive lives.

Dom knew his own daughters would need care too. It hurt him deeply to think of what had happened to his sweet girls. He just wanted to hug them right now. But he had to ensure that things were set so they could exit this country.

He had given Anna-Marie's and Nicolette's passports to Mike. The entry stamps were easy enough to forge. It would look like they entered the country legally. So they could exit legally without raising suspicion.

Heading for the customs Dom saw increased activity that should not be taking place in the airport at this time of night. He stepped to the side and then worked his way closer to try and overhear what was happening. Getting close he overheard only a snippet of the conversation.

But what he overheard had Dom turning around and leaving the airport. He needed to meet the unit at the rendezvous location. There was an alert to stop and apprehend one Ivkin Maxim Gennadiyevich and his large body guard in connection with murder of several dozen people a local club.

Dom began thinking of ways to get Sam and Mason out of the country. Did he have any contacts that could forge an entirely new passport for them? Maybe.

They could cut and dye Sam's hair. Dress him differently. But getting Mason out might prove more difficult. His massive size was difficult to cover up.

He had to think. Dom pulled out his phone needing to contact Mike and tell them to wait for him at the rendezvous point and not go to the airport.

* * *

 _ **Panin Savelievich's Bordello – Panin's Office**_

The group made it through the passageway and to Panin's office without encountering any guards.

Blaze instructed them "Stay here a moment. I will check the outer office and the hall to see what we are up against getting to the stairs."

Winds set Ripsaw down in the chair and checked Dom's program. He smiled and said "All accounts are zero and the program has sent the data to Interpol. It is beginning to scramble Panin's computer."

Mason set the girls down on the couch and turned to check on Blondie. He saw Blondie close the secret door into the passageway and then lean heavily against it and clutch his stomach. Blondie was drenched in sweat and his brow was furrowed in pain. Damn that was not good.

"Blondie you still with us?" Mason asked from across the room.

Sam opened his eyes and looked at Mason. He could see the concern etched in his face. Sam pushed off the wall and sucked it up as he said "Yeah. How are the girls?"

Mason turned and checked them over to ensure they had no visible injuries and then took their pulses "Strong pulses. No injuries visible. They are sedated."

Sam responded "That's a good thing. They will not be traumatized by this part."

Mason, Winds and Ripsaw all nodded in complete agreement. They all knew the girls had been through an ordeal but at least they did not see the men killed in the auction room or foyer. If they had been awake all the gunfire would have scared the little girls. At least they could be spared remembering all of that.

Winds said softly "I hope they remain sedated until we have them safely on the plane in their father's arms and heading to their home."

Blaze came back into the office and stated "Things are a chaotic mess out there. We go across in the same order. Go fast and careful because I saw several guards still out there. I'll clear our path to the stairs. Then just like with the kids one at a time across the hall to the stairs. Blondie you cover the left and I'll cover the right as Winds and Mason cross."

"Roger" they all responded.

Winds picked up Ripsaw and Mason picked up the girls. The group headed into the outer office.

* * *

 _ **Panin Savelievich's Bordello – Second Floor Hallway**_

Blaze made it across the span. He opened the stairwell door and quickly did a check. Only the dead guards from before were there. He positioned himself in the stairwell door way. Then using hand signals he let Winds know he was in place.

Sam positioned himself in a low crouch in the doorway and checked left down the hallway. The hall opened up to a larger room and from his position he could see several people milling about. It was mostly women that were scantily dressed. It looked like Panin's guards were preventing them from leaving the room.

As Winds was about to cross carrying Ripsaw, Sam quietly grabbed his leg and said in a hushed tone "Wait."

Winds looked down at Blondie and then saw Blondie point two fingers at his eyes and then down the hall.

Sam showed Winds that two guards were passing the hallway to the left in the adjoining room. They both waited and watched the guards. When they cleared out, Winds quickly checked the other direction and then darted across the hallway and to the stairwell door.

Blaze noted that Winds had just made it in time when two more guards passed in the direction he was guarding. His part of the hallway also opened to a large room. Like the other, many people looked to be being held there against their wills. Unfortunately there was nothing they could do about that. Their priority was getting the girls out quickly and safely. The rest were adults and would have to fend for themselves when the police arrived.

Mason came to the door with the girls and checked both ways. His long strides had him to the stairwell in very short order.

Blaze whispered "Now you Blondie."

Sam looked in both directions and had to wait as several guards passed in both large rooms. An intense burning hit his gut again and he doubled over and groaned softly. Shit he was in pain. A wave of nausea overtook him and Sam ducked back into the outer office. He shook as he puked but this time he could not stop and continued to heave even when nothing was left to come up.

Winds and Mason shared a look of concern in the stairwell.

Ripsaw was just as concerned and said "Someone needs to go get Blondie. Whatever he was drugged with is getting worse."

Blaze responded "I'll go."

Sam finished heaving and growled in a low voice that reflected pain "No. I'm coming. I can do this under my own power. I don't need to be coddled."

Blaze looked at the doorway across the hall as Blondie appeared. He could hear and see how much Blondie was hurting but he also knew that Blondie needed to do this. Completing this mission under his own power would give him the confidence he needed again.

The past months had stripped Blondie of choice and badly dinged his sense of worth and confidence. It was a battle that could only be won in Blondie's mind. They all knew he was worthy and capable but Blondie needed to know it.

So Blaze said "Okay kid. I believe in you. Let's get out of here."

Sam nodded and checked both directions again. It was clear so he started across. He was half way there when bullets began flying around him from behind.

He turned to fire at the three guards that had suddenly appeared behind him. His rifle jammed. Shit!

The guards yelled and ran towards Sam. Their yell attracted five guards from the other direction and six from the direction they had come from. The guards all started to move towards Sam but were not firing because they could hit the guards from the opposite side.

Sam was trapped in the middle of fourteen guards. He grabbed his pistol and began to fire at the nine guards in front of him. He only had a few bullets left. The guards dove for cover and Sam only took out three of the nine guards before his pistol was empty. He could hear Blaze firing at the five behind him.

With no ammo left, Sam turned to run just as sharp burning pain in his stomach doubled him over and dropped him to his knees in its intensity. He could hear Blaze yelling at him to get up and run. Sam would if he could but he couldn't at the moment, pain blurred his mind as he retched again.

Sam was seized by the back of his vest and hauled up by a guard that said "Не так быстро. Панин захочет продать вам. Вы довольно, и я получу большой бонус для вас останавливает."  
(Not so fast. Panin will want to sell you. You are pretty and I will get a big bonus for stopping you from leaving.)

Blaze had killed all five of the guards behind Blondie and turned to see Blondie had taken out three of the nine in front of him then he was out of ammo. He saw Blondie start to run but then hit the floor. Blaze took aim and dispatched two more of the guards but four were too close to Blondie now for him to fire without possibly hitting Blondie too.

He yelled "Fuck!" as a guard grabbed Blondie and hauled him up.

Blaze was about to step into the hallway when Blondie attacked the guard hauling him up. He watched as it only took Blondie a second to do a move Blaze had only seen him practice with Ripsaw once before. The guard ended up flat on his back and his neck was clearly broken as the guard's head was in an unnatural position.

Sam took an attack stance as the three remaining guards came towards him. He breathed in deep and pushed the pain down. He was _not_ going to be taken _ever_ again.

He had to deal with these guards here. Sam knew he could not make a break for the stairwell because he would be in Blaze's line of fire and the guards could present a threat to the girls and his unit if they got into the stairwell. So Sam had to take them out here.

Sam kicked out at the knee of the closest guard. The sound of bones cracking was followed almost instantaneously by a scream as the guard's knee bent in the opposite and wrong direction. The man fell to the ground and withered in pain until Blaze's bullet ended his life as the guard's head moved clear of Blondie.

The two remaining guard came at Sam at the same time.

Sam ducked the swing of one guard but the other guard's fist clipped Sam in the jaw. The hit was so hard Sam staggered to the side.

The guard that missed got a hold of him and wrenched his arms behind him. The guard that hit him in the jaw then slammed his fists into his stomach twice. The man was pulling back to smash his fist into Sam's face.

Sam could not let that happen.

Even though he was reeling in pain, Sam managed to lift both feet up off the ground. His arms and shoulders hurt as they bore his full body weight. Before the guards could even register what Sam was doing, Sam kicked out at the man in front of him with everything he had. His boots landed squarely on the guard's chest.

The kick was hard enough that it sent the guard flying backwards. As the guard stood up to go back at Sam, he was struck between the eyes by Blaze's bullet.

Blaze was looking for an opening to kill the last guard but he had no shot that would not possibly hit Blondie too. So he waited and watched for an opportunity but the guard was using Blondie as a shield as he backed up to the other room.

Sam fought the grasp of the guard trying to wrench himself free. He was pissed the guard had turned him so he was a shield from Blaze's gun. The guard began backing up taking Sam with him. Sam was _NOT_ going to be taken captive again.

Needing to get free, Sam swung both feet out to the sides and then behind him and locked his ankles together around the guard's legs. It took the guard by surprise and the guard lost his balance. They went down.

Sam struggled to get loose as they hit the floor. He managed to get one hand free and twisted his body at the same time.

They rolled on the floor as they wrestled for dominance. The guard got a chokehold on Sam but Sam managed to twist around and get out of it. Sam rolled away and came up in a fighting stance.

Blaze yelled "Move Blondie. Give me a shot."

But it was too late as the guard managed to get behind Sam again. He lunged at Sam and Sam met him head on. They ended up on the floor again. But this time Sam was able to get the guard in a side headlock and control his near arm. He used all his strength to put a ton of pressure on the guard's neck until the man went limp.

When Sam was sure the man was out he released his hold and snapped the guard's neck for good measure.

Sam's voice was raspy sounding and his throat burned as he ground out "I'm _not_ going to be captured _ever_ again."

He pushed the guard off to the side. Then Sam staggered to his feet and stumbled to the stairwell door.

Blaze stepped quickly to Blondie and caught him as he stumbled.

* * *

 _ **Panin Savelievich's Bordello – Stairwell**_

Blaze pulled Blondie into the stairwell and shut the door as he said "Damn glad you practiced so often with Ripsaw. You okay?"

Trying to catch his breath Sam nodded as his hand went to his burning stomach. He wasn't okay but that would not get them out of here. He bent down and picked up the weapon from the dead guard in the stairwell.

Blaze was damned proud of Blondie. He headed for the stairs as he said "Winds, Mason switch places. Ripsaw, help Blondie cover the rear."

Ripsaw looked at Blondie as they headed down the flight of stairs. Blondie looked like shit but he smiled at Blondie and said "Grasshopper becomes the master."

Sam glanced at Ripsaw as he backed down the stairs covering their six. He couldn't help the small half chuckle despite feeling like absolute crap. Sam responded "You're still the master. They would have never landed that first punch on you."

At the bottom of the stairs Sam leaned on the wall as Blaze reconed the hallway to the kitchen. He was nearly spent as he breathed through the intense pain in his gut and wiped at the sweat. He pinched his nose a moment trying to stem the continuing trickle of blood. He decided that was useless and let go.

Blaze entered the stairs again and said "We have a clear path. No guards lurking."

Sam pushed off the wall and doubled over again.

Blaze caught Blondie before he dropped to his knees again "I got ya kid."

Sam tried to pull out of Blaze's grip but Blaze held tight.

Blaze said "Let's finish this together." He turned and gave Winds and Mason a look that spoke volumes. Blondie needed to do this, he needed to walk out of the club not be carried. He would not let Blondie fall now. He added "Blondie is overwatch. He and I will take point. Mason next and then Winds. Ripsaw you have our six."

Sam started to pull away again but Blaze silenced him by saying "Blondie you are point. Now let's get these little girls outta this hell hole."

Then Blaze slung Blondie's right arm over his shoulder as he wrapped his left arm around Blondie's waist and headed out of the stairwell. Blaze half dragged Blondie along with him to the kitchen. But Blondie was walking instead of being carried and that is what the kid needed right now.

They made it into the kitchen and Blaze let Blondie lean on a table as he went to the back door and called out "Matt we are coming out. Is everything clear?"

Matt unmuted his com-link and responded "Clear but hurry the cops will be here any moment."

Blaze opened the door and started back to Blondie.

Sam pushed away from the table and stood on slightly unsteady legs as he declared "I can make it on my own."

Blaze nodded, and then lead them out.

* * *

 _ **Panin Savelievich's Bordello – Back Alley**_

Mason carried the girls as he followed Blaze out the back door of the kitchen into the alley. Winds with Ripsaw followed Mason and Sam brought up the rear as they exited kitchen to the sounds of sirens blaring off in the distance.

Sam took two steps out of the kitchen when the sound of bullets hitting the metal kitchen door behind him had him turning. Taking aim, Sam fired off three quick shots dropping all three guards that had just come into the kitchen and began firing at them. Sam closed the door and started toward the vans.

Mason headed to the van driven by Anastasia and opened the door. He saw a woman inside with ten kids. He juggled the girls and tried to lay them down without hurting them but it was awkward.

Nadya moved forward when she saw the big man having trouble. She took the littlest girl and helped lay her down first. Then the big man laid the other girl down and climbed in.

Mason asked "Who is the woman?"

Anastasia answered "Nadya. I'll explain later" then she put the van in gear and prepared to head out of the alley.

Blaze opened the door of the other van that had five kids in it.

Winds helped Ripsaw get in and then hurried over to the other van. He knew that Patch would need room to treat Ripsaw and Blondie. He got into the front passenger seat and prepared to defend the van if needed.

Sam was almost to the van when he ended up on his knees doubled over again.

Blaze turned after getting Ripsaw situated and saw Blondie on the ground. He rushed over. Helping him to stand, Blaze said "Almost there kid. You can rest in a moment. You did good. I'm so proud of you."

Sam crawled into the van with Blaze's help and then curled up in a ball gripping his stomach. He let out a low moan.

Ripsaw reached out and placed a comforting hand on Blondie's shoulder. His brother was in terrible shape. Blondie was in pain and soaked in sweat. His brother was most definitely in more pain than he was and his own pain was considerable. What the hell was Blondie drugged with? Whatever it was it was not good.

Blaze closed the door and then got into the passenger front seat and asked "Where are Patch and Mike?"

Matt had glanced back at Sam. He was really worried but he put the van in gear and said "At a clinic getting what Patch needs to treat Sam. We need to pick them up."

Then in a quiet undertone so his voice did not carry to the back of the van, Matt informed Blaze "Patch says Sam was poisoned not drugged. It could be lethal depending on how much he ingested. Treatment needs to happen quickly. So we need to deviate to the clinic then meet the others at the rendezvous location."

Sam's moan of "That's just fucking great. I survive torture only to die because I drank some fucking poisoned vodka" in their headsets punctuated that Matt's voice was heard by all.

Matt had forgotten he had unmuted his headset. He slammed the steering wheel. Then Matt said firmly "You are not dying. You hear me Sammy? You will not die. Patch will fix you up."

Sam only moaned as his gut burned in pain.

Blaze's face was hard as he ordered "Let go."

The vans turned left out of the alley just as the first police car screeched to a halt at the front of the Cherry Club. After the vans turned onto the street a single car pulled slowly out of the underground parking garage into the alley and then turned right.

Blaze's gut was reeling and his heart squeezed painfully tight. Blaze wondered if backing Blondie's plan just got Blondie killed? He turned and looked back at Blondie and saw Ripsaw holding onto him.

Ripsaw met Blaze's eyes. Both men's eyes reflected sadness. They succeeded in getting the girls out. But at what cost? Would they lose Blondie?


	42. Faith, Pain-Anger-Pride-Hugs & Hypnosis

**Faith, Pain-Anger-Pride-Hugs & Hypnosis**

* * *

 _ **Abbey on the Outskirts of Makhachkala**_

Andro Tenorio paced outside the room where his wife Tatiana and young son Luka slept. It was the middle of the night but Andro could not sleep. His family was being torn apart with little Elsa missing.

His heart was being ripped to shreds and it was so hard to maintain his faith. How could this be the Lord's plan for him? Hadn't he and Tatiana suffered enough in their lifetime?

This was supposed to be a vacation of a lifetime for his family combined with charitable work. He and Tatiana had wanted to show their children where he and Tatiana had grown up. Andro could remember playing at the beach as a little boy. The Caspian Sea was something he remembered fondly from his childhood.

He and Tatiana had immigrated to Canada nine years ago when Tatiana was pregnant with Elsa and Luka was just four. They had made a good life in Canada. Both had always wanted to give back since they had been so fortunate.

So they had sought out charitable organizations in Russia and Georgia to donate to and to visit to see their donations in action. Andro chose this Abbey in Makhachkala because it was his hometown and he remembered how supportive the sisters were when his parents passed away. Tatiana chose an Abbey in Tbilisi, Georgia because that is where Tatiana was from. She chose it because as a child she attended a school run by the nuns.

Andro had met Tatiana in Tbilisi when he traveled there on business with his former company. They hit it off and married eight months later in Tbilisi. Tatiana said goodbye to her little sister and parents and moved to Makhachkala with him.

They had a happy couple of years in Makhachkala. But life was not easy after he was let go from his company in Makhachkala. His parents had allowed them and Luka to move in with them when things got real tight. But losing his job started off a yearlong chain of events that tested his faith. That year culminated with their decision to immigrate to Canada looking for a fresh start.

Andro stopped and looked at the door as Tatiana's soft wails reached his ears. She was awake and crying yet again. His wife had been so distraught at Elsa's disappearance. It dredged up all kinds of painful memories for Tatiana. In that year from hell, not only had he lost his job but both sets of their parents died and Tatiana's little sister went missing.

Three months after he lost his job, his parents died in a fire at the company they worked for. The manager had allowed pallets of heavy barrels to be stored blocking the exits. Their deaths could have been prevented if the manager had followed proper safety protocol.

Tatiana's parents unfortunately met sad ends too. It started two months after his parents died. Tatiana's sister went missing after school one day and was never found.

Her father blamed himself for his daughter's disappearance. He had stopped at the bar to have a quick drink with coworkers before picking up his daughter from school. He had stayed a bit too long and by the time he left to get her she was gone. There was no trace of her.

After five months of searching day and night, Tatiana's father committed suicide by jumping into the Mtkvari river. Her father did not know how to swim and quickly drowned. Less than a month later Tatiana's mother was killed in armed robbery of the store she worked at.

So Elsa's disappearance was very distressing on several accounts. Tatiana had collapsed and Andro had brought her to the nuns for help. Twelve year old Luka was also a mess. His little boy blamed himself for losing Elsa. But it was not his son's fault.

Andro knew it was his own fault. He was the one that left the kids alone on the beach when he went to get sodas for his kids at a nearby vendor. He was only gone for less than five minutes but that was all it took for his little girl to get snatched.

The police had been no help even though Luka described a man he saw walking away with Elsa in his arms. Luka was unable to get to Elsa in time. They had both been swamped by a large wave. When Luka had finally made it up for air and collapsed on the beach his eyes were stinging from the salty water.

Several adults had gathered around Luka trying to see if he was okay. When Luka looked around he saw Elsa in the arms of a man down the beach. He tried to call out but ended up coughing up sea water. By the time Luka quit coughing the man was too far away for Elsa to hear and then turned a corner and Elsa was gone.

Andro's thoughts were halted as he saw Abbess Mary Catherine bustling down the corridor with three other sisters. The sisters had been a godsend. They were helping both Tatiana and Luka.

"Abbess, I think Tatiana needs more sedative. She is crying again" Andro said with concern.

Mary Catherine stopped a moment "I'm sorry Andro I cannot look in on her at this moment. I must be going right now. I cannot be late. I will send Sister Esther to Tatiana."

Andro nodded "Thank you."

Mary Catherine placed a quick hand on his shoulder and said "Keep faith Andro. The Lord shall see you through this trial."

Tears clouded Andro's vision and he only nodded in short, fast bursts. It was so difficult to keep faith. His little girl was who knows where with who knows who and the police didn't seem to give a damn.

As the sisters left, Andro dropped to his knees and bent his head in prayer as tears rolled down his cheeks "Dear Lord, protect my little Elsa. I put her in your hands Lord. Please send someone strong and caring to protect and comfort her until she can be returned to our loving arms."

* * *

 _ **Van with Matt Driving**_

Matt spotted Patch and Mike and quickly pulled over. Mike yanked open the back of the van and Patch got in first. Mike climbed in and closed the door.

"Hold on. We gotta go quick. Police are swarming the area" Matt stated then he started again at a good clip towards the rendezvous location.

Patch looked at Ripsaw and Blondie and made a quick visual assessment. Both were in bad shape. Pain was etched across their faces. Ripsaw's wound was still bleeding as evidenced by the small puddle of blood under his calf. He made a decision. Blondie first, he was poisoned and Patch had no idea how much Blondie had ingested.

He took off his pack and said "Mike would you get the IV started on Ripsaw."

Patch then moved to the other side of Blondie. Blondie was curled up so tightly in a ball. He placed a hand on his back and said softly "Hey. I'm gonna take care of you and stop the pain in a little bit. Don't worry." Then he asked "How much did you drink?"

Sam tried to answer but was racked with a fresh wave of pain in his gut and curled up tighter.

Mason answered for him over the com-link "It was a small bit. I'd estimate about two ounces of vodka in the glass. Blondie downed it all in one gulp. It had to be poisoned after it was poured since Panin drank from the same bottle."

Blaze interjected "Or the glass was already laced with the poison. Does that give you any indicator of how much poison is in his system?"

Patch shook his head no as he prepared the bentonite solution. When he finished preparing it Patch said "Okay Blondie, this will not taste good but I need you to drink all of this. If you gag it up I've got enough that we will just start over. We got to get this into your GI tract. It will help absorb the poison and eliminate it from your body."

Sam struggled to sit up and Mike and held off putting in Ripsaw's IV as Sam's eyes opened. Mike quickly hid the needle when he recalled Sam's reaction to the needle in that room. He didn't want to cause him to throw up now when getting that stuff down him was so important.

Patch reached out and helped Blondie sit up slightly and said "That's good enough. Now drink."

Mike shifted positions as Sam gagged down the bentonite solution so he could block Sam's vision of the needle. He got the IV started in Ripsaw then then looked at the five scared faces of the kids.

Softly Mike said "Все нормально. Вы в безопасности, и вы будете идти домой. Мы просто должны помочь нашим друзьям на пути."  
(It is okay. You are safe and you will be going home. We just have to help our friends on the way.)

Misha asked "Могу ли я сделать что-нибудь, чтобы помочь?"  
(Can I do anything to help?)

Mike smiled and said "Да, вы можете получить детей в один угол, а затем получить мой пакет и положил его под голову моего друга, так что мы можем получить его более удобным?"  
(Yes, can you get the kids into one corner and then get my pack and put it under my friend's head so we can get him more comfortable?)

Misha did as asked as Mike said "How much morphine?"

Patch glanced over as he was holding Blondie up and holding the solution between gagging sips and saw what was happening. He told Mike the dosage and watched a moment as Mike skillfully drew the right amount.

Sam groaned as his stomach burned. The stuff was godawful tasting and he moaned out "Are you making me drink dirt?"

Patch actually chuckled releasing some tension that was building in him "Well, yes Blondie I am. Bentonite is a type of clay. You get to drink this every two hours. And even better yet you get to piss in a bottle for me. I need to watch your urine output closely. The shit you drank can cause renal failure."

Sam looked up at Patch as he took another sip of the foul solution. He managed to get it down his burning throat then he said "No IVs."

Patch's eyes saddened and he said "Sorry brother but that is gonna happen. I wish I didn't have too but this poison causes dehydration too and you need enough fluid in you to help flush your system of the toxin. Get this down first then we will deal with the IV. I'll be fast and painless, I promise you that. Once the IV is in then I can give you something for the pain too."

Blaze shifted in his seat and moved to the back of the van. He situated himself so he could lean Blondie on his chest and free Patch from holding him up. He quietly said "I got ya kid. Just try to relax. Your plan worked and you got the girls and all the kids out safe. It is time to relax and let us take care of you. You can trust me not to hurt you kid."

Sam leaned on Blaze and felt something he had wanted to feel for years. He felt the care and concern of a father. It helped him relax a bit. He was in so much pain he was beyond caring what the guys might think of him leaning into Blaze like this.

Patch lifted the bottle again and made Blondie drink another large swallow of the disgusting stuff.

Sam gagged as it was going down and some of it came out of his mouth and dribbled down his chin. He tried to breathe through the nausea and pain. Sam fell back onto Blaze's chest and closed his eyes a moment. He hurt so badly he felt like he was gonna die.

Patch reached out and wiped a dampened piece of gauze around Blondie's mouth to remove the bit of bentonite that came up when Blondie gagged. Then he took another clean one and wiped the blood from under Blondie's nose and followed the path of it down his chin and onto his neck.

He then made small pill rolls of gauze and inserted them in Blondie's nostrils to catch further dripping. The blood loss was not significant, more of a nuisance and a mess. But it was a scary side effect of the herbicide toxin.

Then Patch handed the bottle of bentonite solution to Blaze and instructed him "Give Blondie a minute to rest between drinks but make sure he drinks it all. I'm gonna take a look at Ripsaw's leg right now."

Mike shifted so Patch could get in next to Ripsaw.

Matt took off the makeshift pressure bandage and cut open Ripsaw's pant leg. He looked at it and said "Looks like it may have nicked the bone. But it is a good thing there is an exit wound. Infection is likely to be less of an issue. But I'm gonna start you on antibiotic just in case."

Then Matt said "This is gonna hurt when I clean it. What is your pain level now?"

Ripsaw answered "Flyin nice and high right about now."

Patch patted him on the knee and said "Let me know if it gets too bad. I can give you a bit more morphine if you need it. After I clean it I'll wrap and splint it. But we need to get your leg x-rayed to determine what damage was done to the bone."

Ripsaw nodded and said "Get on with it."

Mike gripped Ripsaw's hand and said "Here for you buddy."

Ripsaw squeezed Mike's hand with all his might as he gritted his teeth when Patch began to clean his wound. Beads of sweat broke out on his forehead as he refused to scream out in pain and possibly scare the kids.

Low moans did escape and he found his other hand gripped. Ripsaw turned thinking it was Blaze but found that Blondie was holding onto his hand. Blondie's face was contorted in pain like his. Their eyes met and both share a mental thought of shit this sucks.

Ripsaw held a lock on Blondie's eyes all while Patch cleaned the wound. It helped him make it through the painful process without screaming.

As Patch was wrapping Ripsaw's wound Mike's phone buzzed. Mike pulled it out and answered "Hello."

 _[Dom quickly said "Do not go to the airport. Under no circumstances, go to the airport. I am on my way to meet you at the rendezvous point. I have no idea how or why but the airport is swarming with police and they are on the lookout for Sam and Mason. We need to rethink our exit plan."_

 _Then he relayed how he found out about the arrest warrants for Maks. As he hung up several ideas were rolling through his head._

 _One was that they might be able to get across a border in a vehicle. Another was that they could possibly get a boat. A boat might be a better solution if he could locate a seaplane and pick them up in the Caspian Sea._

 _Dom wondered if Mike was qualified to fly one. His own flight skills were a bit rusty but he could manage the Learjet if Mike could manage to seaplane.]_

Mike hung up and looked at Blaze "We have a problem." He relayed what Dom told him.

Mason heard Mike and said across the com-link "Shit, it was probably Panin. He's the only one that would report that. He must have cops on his payroll. I should have snapped Panin's neck when I had a chance."

Mike snapped angrily "You didn't kill the bastard? Why the hell not?"

Mason responded "I left him for the Prince to deal with. The Prince looked ready to kill Panin. We needed to get out of there with the girls and Blondie. I left Panin so the Prince could focus on Panin and we could exit."

Mike was seething. He wanted that man dead. Panin had sold him and countless others into a degrading life worse than death. Panin did not deserve to live. He yelled "You should have fucking killed the bastard anyways."

Blaze stated with authority "Mike stop. You were not there. You cannot second guess their decisions. Their decisions got them and the girls out safely. That is all that matters."

Mike clenched his jaw and fists as he burned with hatred for Panin. No matter how long it took he would find that man and kill him. Perhaps he would contact Dom once they were done. Mike was sure Dom wanted the man dead as badly as he did. Between them they would have the resources to locate and kill the bastard.

* * *

 _ **Van with Anastasia Driving**_

Mason looked up at Winds who had turned around to look at Mason during the exchange between him and Mike. With regret lacing his words, Mason softly said "I should have killed Panin. He poisoned Blondie."

Winds said "You did what you thought was best in the situation Mason. Do not second guess yourself." He pointed to all the kids and said "You and Blondie did well. We got all the kids out."

He could see that did not mollify Mason. To distract Mason from his dark, self-incriminating thoughts Winds asked "What the hell did Blondie say to get Panin to not shoot him? We saw on video what happened in that room but there was no audio."

Mason snorted "Man you wouldn't believe how self-assured Blondie was. He sure as hell pulled off being an arrogant SOB well."

He then went on to tell them all what Blondie said. Anastasia and Mike chimed in with additional details. Winds, Patch, Ripsaw, Blaze and Matt were in awe of what Blondie had done. They all made comments to that effect and praising Blondie's actions. Every one of them wanted Blondie to know they were proud of him.

After a bit they all became silent as Blondie started retching again and everything he had just consumed came back up. Yeah they were proud of him. They just wished Blondie didn't pay such a high price for his actions. They all hoped he didn't pay the ultimate price.

Mason dropped his head wishing he had thrown that glass of vodka against a wall.

He heard Patch coaxing more of the bentonite solution down Blondie. Blondie's soft moans of pain ripped at Mason's heart. He wished that Patch would give him pain meds. But Mason knew that would be an ordeal for Blondie too. It would involve starting an IV and that involved a needle and that would be so hard for Blondie to handle.

Elsa was eyeing the big man that had been in that scary room with her when the mean man was yelling something at her she did not understand. She was scared and wanted to go to the pretty lady but she was driving so she couldn't. But the big man had so carefully laid the little girls down that were still sleeping.

She crawled towards him tentatively. He looked really sad like he needed a hug. She wanted a hug. Daddy's hugs always made her feel better.

Mason turned when he heard one of the children move. His eyes landed on the little green eyed girl. She looked so frightened.

He opened his arms and softly asked "You need a hug wee one?"

Elsa nodded and moved forward.

Mason picked her up and settled her in his lap as he held her gently as her little hands wrapped part way around him and she laid her head on his chest. He whispered "You are safe wee one. No one is going to hurt you again. I won't let anyone hurt you."

Truth be told it was Mason that really needed the hug. He needed to be close to something innocent to remind himself why they did this mission that could cost Blondie his life. His eyes shifted to all the kids sitting quietly in the back of the van and to Dom's little girls. They were all safe. Blondie would think that was fair trade for his life.

But Mason did not think so. Blondie was solidly in his heart as a little brother. He loved his sisters but he had always secretly wished for a little brother. Blondie filled that need. It would hurt so much if Blondie did not make it. Mason held the little girl close and secure.

Nadya watched the little green eyed girl move towards the huge man and as he gently picked her up and then enfolded her in his massive arms. She had no clue what he said to her but the little girl closed her eyes and looked relaxed for the first time.

She continued to stare as the huge man rocked the little girl slowly. Nadya was drawn to the little girl for some reason. Perhaps it was because the her eyes reminded Nadya of her big sister's eyes.

A pang of longing hit Nadya as she hugged and rocked herself. She imagined that she was in her father's strong and loving embrace. She was finally going home. Nadya would see her parents and sister soon. It had been ten long years. She hoped they would still love and want her even though she was tainted goods now.

* * *

 _ **Abandoned Warehouse Near Abbey on the Outskirts of Makhachkala**_

Abbess Mary Catherine looked at the other three nuns. She only brought three with her because what they were doing was very dangerous. But she would do anything for Dominique Savoy.

That man had saved her life many years ago. He had been part of a team sent in to rescue her and several other nuns who were on a humanitarian mission in Kazakhstan. She and five other sisters were held hostage and were about to be put to death when the rescuers arrived.

Dominique and another man, a blonde and blue eyed man, had lost their face covers in the struggles with the misguided souls who had taken them hostage. She never did see the faces of the others and none but Dominique spoke to them. She understood their need to remain anonymous. Their lives depended on that.

But on the flight out she had talked to the young Dominique. He made sure she and the other nuns were safe and well cared for. She told him all about her work in Makhachkala. She was just a young woman then, a novice. She was so excited about her work helping others. He had listened politely to her ramble back then. Mostly she had talked because she was so nervous and talking was always how she handled nerves.

At least it was back then. Years had tempered that habit. She was surprised when five years later that same young man showed up at their Abbey injured badly. He was all alone. Mary Catherine was assigned to tend him.

He was with them for nearly a month as he regained his health. It was then that she learned his real name. They talked about a lot of things while she tended him. She came to know him well.

Dominique was a good man. He did things she did not agree with but she was thankful he had been there to save her life. And she was thankful that she could return the favor and nurse him back to health years later. The Lord worked in mysterious ways.

After Dominique left he maintained correspondence with her on an infrequent basis. His letters always included a healthy donation for their Abbey. Over the years she had risen in the ranks and last year she was elected to be abbess of the Abbey.

When she got his call there was no way she could say no. It was so sad to hear that a place like that was thriving in Makhachkala. She would do all in her power to assist the children that Dom and his friends saved from that ungodly place.

Sister Maria who was at the entrance of the abandoned warehouse turned and said "Someone is approaching. One car."

Dom pulled into the warehouse and parked. He turned off the car and exited. He smiled when he saw Mary Catherine. She had nearly talked his ear off on that flight home when he first met her. She was so young and frightened back then.

He walked over and kissed both sides of her cheeks in greeting then said "The years have been kind to you Sister Mary Catherine. You are a beautiful angel as ever."

"Oh posh, Dominique. You were always such a flatterer. It is Abbess now too, as of last year. I was not expecting you. Did something change?" Mary Catherine responded.

Dom nodded and first said "Congratulations. I knew you were destined for great things. Your heart is full of compassion. The sisters are lucky to have a leader such as you."

Then Dom sighed and answered her question "A few things went wrong. I hate to ask but we need a place to lay low and regroup. We have one who is very ill. We need to find another way out of the country too for two. The authorities are looking for them and they cannot fly out of the country as planned."

Abbess Mary Catherine laid a gentle hand on his shoulder "You do not need to ask. You all will be safe at the Abbey for as long as you need."

Both turned as two vans entered the warehouse. Dom strode over to one with Mary Catherine.

Anastasia got out of the driver's side and then immediately went to open the back doors. She smiled seeing Elsa in Mason's arms. The little girl had fallen asleep.

Dom and Mary Catherine came to the back of the van and as Mary Catherine looked over all the little faces her heart broke. Poor little dears. They had been through so much.

Her eyes continued and landed on a giant of a man cradling a very small girl. Mary Catherine gasped "Elsa. Oh my dear. It is Elsa."

Anastasia asked "You know who this little one is?"

The Abbess nodded "Yes. Thank the Lord she is saved. Her parents, Andro and Tatiana are at the Abbey now. They have been sorely tested and praying night and day for her safe return."

Winds came up to Dom and said "What is the plan? We need to get Blondie and Ripsaw someplace safe."

Dom asked "Ripsaw, what happened?"

Blaze strode over and said "Took one in the leg. Blondie is beyond sick. He needs a place now to rest. Patch was not able to get an IV started in the van due to Blondie's …" he stopped himself from revealing personal details of Blondie's fear of needles and switched to "due to the motion of the van."

Matt had gotten out of the driver's seat and gone to the back of the van. He and Mike helped the kids out. Blaze got out too and Mike and Blaze headed over to Dom. Matt climbed into the van and took Blaze's place holding Sam. Because Patch could not start the IV, Sam was still in immense pain.

He held him and gently stroked his hair. Matt was glad he had at least finished his first dosage of bentonite. Sammy could curl up and not have to gag more down at the moment.

Patch looked at Matt and said "I have to get that IV started now."

Matt whispered "Sammy I'm gonna hold you and cover your eyes. You will feel the needle but you won't see it."

Sam shook his head as his body became even more rigid and his body shook with fear. His voice was panicky "No. I'll drink. I promise I'll drink a lot. No needles please."

Patch pursed his lips tight and clenched his fist. He hated to be the one to cause Blondie fear and pain. But it was for his own good. He said "Matt I need you to hold him. I have to get it started."

Sam struggled and his voice was pitiful as he said "Nooo. No. No."

Ripsaw looked on. It was so hard to see Blondie begging like a scared little kid. He closed his eyes and tried to concentrate on something else. Anything else besides the heart wrenching cries.

Mason handed off Elsa to Anastasia and raced to the other van when they heard Blondie's whimpering and cries of no. Blaze, Winds, Dom and the Abbess all hurried over to the van too.

Matt looked at Mason "I need your help. Sick as he is he is still damned strong. I cannot hold him still myself."

Patch's face was filled with anguish as he looked at Blaze "I gotta get the IV started. I cannot wait any longer."

Winds reached in and helped Ripsaw out so Mason could get in.

Mason's hands were a little shaky. He never wanted to harm Blondie ever again. Holding him down would tear at his soul. He crooned "'S e seo airson agad fhèin math Sunshine. Be fhathast a-nis. Cuiribh a chumail fhathast."  
(This is for your own good Sunshine. Be still now. Please hold still.)

Mary Catherine looked on. The absolute terror in those blue eyes as the young man fought with all his might against two of his friends made her very sad. That young man should not be man handled like that.

In her most authoritative voice she ordered "Stop this instant. Cannot you see is he is terrified."

Mason and Matt halted at the commanding female voice. They looked at the nun shocked.

Patch recovered first and said "This cannot wait longer. I've waited as long as I could hoping he would pass out with pain. That did not happen. His very life depends on me getting this IV started."

Mary Catherine looked at the careworn medic his emotions were clearly visible on his face. She then back at the very ill young man who was in definite pain and still shaking like a leaf. His eyes were flicking from person to person like he was trying to decide who would attack him.

She said in a quiet but firm voice "Please allow me a moment with him."

Mason moved but Matt stayed and said "With all due respect what do you think you can do. He is terrified of needles for good reason. Simply talking to him will not help. Let us do what is necessary for my brother. I don't want him to die."

She smiled and climbed in "Give me a moment please. If it does not work then you can do what you must. But my way will be better for all of you."

Mary Catherine took her rosary beads and gently swung them back and forth in front of the young man's eyes as she said softly "Focus on the beads. I want you to focus only there. Breath in and breath out. That's right just focus on the beads. Breath in. Breath out."

She did this for several minutes getting the young man to relax a bit and focus on the beads as she swung them close to his face and breathed in unison with the back and forth motion of the beads.

"Okay now close your eyes" Mary Catherine instructed in a soft monotone.

Sam allowed his eyes to close.

"Good. Breath in. Breath out. Breath in. Breath out. Now relax your eyes. They are so tired that even if you tried you could not open them. Breath in. Breath out. Breath in. Breath out. Your eyes are so very tired" Mary Catherine said as she stopped swinging the beads.

She continued for another five minutes telling him his eyes were so tired that he could not open them. Then she instructed "Try to open your eyes."

Sam tried. His eyes were so heavy he could not open them.

Mary Catherine waited a moment while he tried then said "Stop trying and just relax. You are floating. You are safe. Your whole body is relaxed and warm. You have never felt so safe and relaxed before."

She repeated this several times then Mary Catherine said "Now on the count of three I want you to open your eyes. One … two … three … open."

Sam's eyes opened. They were a bit glazed over and did not focus on anything.

"Now close them. You now feel even ten times as relaxed and safe" Mary Catherine stated softly.

Mary Catherine repeated this process several times. Each time suggesting the young man was ten times more relaxed than the previous time. She continued a process of taking him into deeper and deeper relaxation. He was resisting her and very difficult to get to the point of relaxation she needed him to be at.

After fifteen minutes of working to take him to a deep state of relaxation Mary Catherine said "Now you are so relaxed that you will feel nothing. I am going to lift your hand."

Lifting the young man's hand she asked "Do you feel me holding your hand?"

Sam's voice was soft and far away as he answered "No."

She lowered his hand and then leaned over to the medic and whispered "You can do what you need now. He will not be aware or feel anything."

Patch worked quickly and effeciently to start Blondie's IV while the nun continued to tell Blondie how relaxed he was. Patch injected Blondie's special pain meds into the IV line. When he was done he quickly removed all visual evidence of needles. Then he whispered "I'm done."

Mary Catherine nodded and her voice was still soft and monotone as she instructed the young man "You are so tired that on the count of three you will sleep. You will sleep feeling safe and relaxed. When you wake you will only remember falling to sleep. One … two … three … sleep."

The guys all looked on completely stunned that the nun had successful hypnotized Blondie. They were amazed that Patch was able to insert the IV without Blondie knowing or seeing the needle. This nun just earned their everlasting gratitude.

Matt looked up with deep gratitude and tears in his eyes, "Thank you, from the bottom of my heart thank you. It hurt so bad seeing him so scared and in pain. Thank you for helping my brother."

She smiled, reached out and brushed the damp blonde locks from the young man's forehead. It was nice to see the pain lines gone as the young man rested. Mary Catherine squeezed his friend's hand and said "I can see you care a lot. He is resting now. God will watch over him while he sleeps."

Then Mary Catherine turned and looked at Dom as she remarked "He looks so much like the man that was with you when you rescued me."

Dom grinned and could not wait to tell William about this part as he responded "That would be because this young man is his son."

Mary Catherine's jaw dropped open as she turned and looked at the young man again. She said "The Lord must have brought him to me for a reason then. It was a way for me to repay a kindness."

She started to climb out of the van and Patch reached out and hugged her. It might not be appropriate but his heart was bursting will appreciation that he could not find words to express.

When the medic finally released her from a hug, the Abbess smiled and said "You're welcome."

As she got out she was enfolded in another hug from the giant man.

Mason's voice was thick with emotion as he held the nun and said "Thank you for helping my little brother."

Mary Catherine looked up and up and up "He is _much_ littler than you that is for sure."

Mason chuckled as he released the nun "Yeah he is but I meant younger. Thank you. I did not want to hold him down but I would have."

Winds held Ripsaw up outside the van and together they added their appreciation "Thank you."

Blaze looked at the nun and spoke from the heart "Thank you for helping the kid. He has been through too much lately. He is very special to all of us. It pained all of us that he needed to be held down but with the poison he ingested he needed the fluids to flush his system. I wish there was something we could do to express our appreciation."

She reached out and took the hand of he man that was clearly in charge of these men and said "I'm glad I could help. It is a heavy burden you carry. But you all have done more today than me. You saved seventeen children."

Mary Catherine looked at each of the men and then added "You will heal a family that is currently in so much pain. Andro's prayers for Elsa's safe return were answered in the form of you men. Now let's get you all to the Abbey. I can see that you all need to rest someplace safe. You will all be safe at the Abbey."

Patch finally found his voice and asked "Could you give him a post hypnotic suggestion that he is not afraid of needles?"

Mary Catherine turned and responded "Sadly it does not truly work that way with a terror that deeply ingrained in his psyche. Unless he is guided to a deep state of relaxation the suggestion will have little lasting effect. He was rather resistance to the suggestion to relax. Normally, I can get people hypnotized in a very small fraction of the time it took to get him to that state relaxation."

Matt chuckled "He is rather stubborn. Usually that is a good thing. His stubbornness saved his life when any other man would have died."

.

* * *

 _ **AN:** Would love to hear what you think of this chapter. For those that do not believe in a God, apologies for the heavy dose of religious overtones. But that was due to the character's beliefs and personalities. Hope you enjoyed the chapter anyways._


	43. Protect My Men, Comfort, Plans & Reunion

**Protect My Men, Comfort, Plans & Reunions**

* * *

 _ **Outside the Abbey on the Outskirts of Makhachkala**_

The unit plus the others arrived at the Abbey. Two sisters guided all the kids inside except Elsa who would not budge from Anastasia's arms.

Nadya went to the back of the van that carried the man who had saved her. She wanted to thank him. She had seen he was injured when they were in that warehouse.

She went up to him as he was being helped by two of the men and said "Gmadlobt'. me mmart'ebs ch'emi ts'khovreba dzalian t'k'ven. ghmert'ma dalots'os da daits'avs."  
(Thank you. I owe my life too you. May God bless and protect you.)

Ripsaw looked up as he was being helped inside by Patch and Mike who had created a cradle chair with their arms to carry him so he did not have to be slung over Winds' shoulder again.

He smiled and said "Nadya madloba. t'u es ar iqo t'k'ven mier motsodebuli inp'ormats'ia da t'k'veni dakhmareba ram sheedzlo tsavida bevrad ganskhvavebulad. t'k'ven daekhmara gadarch'ena t'avs da qvela am bavshvebs. vimedovneb, rom bedniereba da avashenot' lamazi ts'khovreba."  
(Nadya thank you. If it were not for the information you provided and your help things could have gone much differently. You helped to save yourself and all these kids. I hope you find happiness and build a beautiful life.)

She smiled liking the thought that she had helped. Then she followed the three men inside.

Mason waited at the back of the van for Matt and Blaze to bring Blondie to the edge of the van. Once they got him there he bent down and gently picked him up. He stood still while Matt and Blaze hopped out. Matt held the saline bag while Blaze slung two packs over his shoulder.

Then Mason and Matt followed Patch, Mike and Ripsaw into the Abbey. Dom who was carrying Nicolette and Sister Maria who carried Anna-Marie followed Mason. The last of the little rag tag parade was Anastasia who was carrying Elsa.

Winds and Blaze watched the group go inside and then Blaze turned his attention to the Abbess who was still outside ensuring everyone got in safely. Blaze said "We will return in a bit. We need to ditch the vans."

Mary Catherine smiled and said "We will take good care of them while you are gone. We will have something nourishing for you to eat and a place to rest set up by the time you return. God's speed."

Blaze and Winds headed for the two vans. They would drive them some place secure and remove all traces of the unit and kids from inside the vans. Then they would hike back here.

Winds asked "How are we going to remove traces of Ripsaw's blood and Blondie's puke?"

Blaze stopped and jogged back to the Abbess and asked "Do you have any kerosene?"

See looked at him and asked "Yes. Why?"

"Just need some so I can protect my men. We were never here and we can leave nothing behind that could link us here" Blaze stated.

"Wait a moment. I'll be right back with some" Mary Catherine stated.

She returned a few minutes later and handed over a large can of kerosene. Then she watched as the two men drove away. Mary Catherine turned and headed inside to assist with what needed to be done.

The Abbess had an Abbey full of children to comfort, feed, cloth, bed down and identify. That would be a huge undertaking to locate the families. She had a family to reunite. That would be a happy thing. Mary Catherine also needed to provide nourishment and a place of rest for several brave men and two brave women. She might even need to contact the doctor if the medic needed assistance with the injured and ill men.

* * *

 _ **Vacant Lot Outside of Makhachkala**_

Blaze and Winds pulled into a vacant lot outside Makhachkala. They were approximately twenty miles from the Abbey. The location was the first and best location they could find. They did not want the vans found anywhere near the Abbey.

Both men put the vans in park but kept them running. The first thing they did was to destroy the VIN numbers on the dashboard and door jamb of driver's side door. Next they removed the license plates. Before they had gone to the club Winds had removed the rental GPS devices and tossed them in a random trash can along with the destroyed registration paperwork.

After taking care of the plates and VINS, they wiped down the interiors completely for finger prints. Most of them were wearing gloves but Mason and the kids were not. So it was important to remove anything that could be traced to any of the kids.

Blaze then soaked the entire interior of the van that had carried Blondie and Ripsaw with kerosene. He poured a significant amount of kerosene onto both areas with Blondie's and Ripsaw's biological DNA. He needed to protect his men. He could not leave even a hint of a trace that could tie them to these vans.

Winds came over and said "The other van is clean. Do we need to torch it too?"

Blaze nodded his head as he handed the kerosene to Winds and said "Yeah, hate to destroy property but even if we used bleach, DNA might still be recovered and we cannot risk that. Mason was not wearing gloves and the fire will destroy any trace you may have missed."

Winds nodded and put has backpack on then stepped back over to the van he had cleared of anything related to them or the kids. He doused the interior in kerosene like Blaze had and concentrated on the areas Mason had been in. Blaze was right. They needed to protect Mason, Ripsaw and Blondie.

Blaze took a metal bar from his pack and punctured the gas tank then did the same to the other van. Then he put the bar back into his pack and slung his pack over his shoulder. He would discard the bar along with the license plates somewhere on their trek back to the Abbey.

With his gloved hand he withdrew a package of matches that had the Cherry Club logo on them.

Winds tossed the empty can of kerosene into the van and then looked at Blaze "Ready to fire."

Blaze lit a match and tossed it into the van. He went to the second van and lit another match and tossed it in. Then Blaze dropped the package of matches onto the ground.

As the vans went up in flames quickly, Blaze turned and smiled at Winds "Glad I swiped those off Panin's desk while we watched the video. A little misdirection cannot hurt."

"Yeah" Winds said and then turned and said "Let's go. We got quite a hike to get back. With any luck, we will make it back to the Abbey unseen and before daybreak."

Blaze slung his pack fully onto his back and then started out at fast jog "We'll make it. Then we have to figure out how to get the guys out of here."

Winds kept pace and said "Crossing the border by land will not work. Too much possibility of getting caught and it is too slow too. Both Blondie and Ripsaw need a hospital as quick as we can get them there."

"Maybe we could go by sea? We could possibly steal a yacht or something. But that still leaves us with land travel when we get to either Turkmenistan or Iran. Neither are good choices to travel by land. And that doesn't even take into consideration traveling across Afghanistan to get to Kandahar" Blaze mused aloud not liking any of the ideas that were coming to his mind.

"Perhaps Dom has some other way" Winds commented.

The loud booms of the gas tanks on the vans exploding silenced them. They steadily increased their running pace to a ten mile per hour rate down the deserted paved road. It would take them about two hours to make it back to the Abbey if they could maintain that pace. Both remained silent as they ran and let their exfil problem roll around in their heads looking for a workable solution.

* * *

 _ **Abbey on the Outskirts of Makhachkala – Andro's and Tatiana's Room**_

Andro heard several people walking down the hall as he lay on his bed trying to sleep. Sleep would not come, he was so worried about his little girl. She must be so scared and missing them as much as they were missing her. He wiped his tears that would not seem to stop once they had started when he had been on his knees praying after the Abbess had left.

Sister Esther had come in to check on Tatiana as promised. Tatiana had refused more sedative. She had wanted to talk and the sister had sat with her and listened while he prayed and Luka thankfully slept.

He had come in while Tatiana was showing Sister Esther pictures of her parents, little sister and Elsa. The mounting losses were tearing his wife to pieces. She had such a soft heart. Family was everything to Tatiana. But she extended her heart to everyone.

Tatiana had finally fallen into a fitful sleep. She cried out for Elsa, her sister and her parents in her sleep several times.

Andro was so worried that Tatiana might be tempted to take the same action her father had taken.

Mr. Janashia had been as soft-hearted as Tatiana. Her father had only stopped for that drink with coworkers to celebrate the birth of a coworker's first child. It ate at Tatiana's father day and night that his own daughter went missing while he was celebrating. That is until Mr. Janashia's heart could bear no more pain and he killed himself.

He closed his eyes again. He needed to sleep at least a little tonight so he could be strong to take care of Tatiana and Luka. Tomorrow he would go to the police again and demand they increase their efforts to find Elsa. Perhaps he should contact the Canadian consulate to see if they could be helpful.

Andro drifted off into a restless sleep.

* * *

 _ **Abbey on the Outskirts of Makhachkala – Children's Room**_

Nadya looked around the room with all the beds in wonder. She had been shown in here with all the children even though she was an adult. There were nuns going from bed to bed.

One was handing out clean sleepwear to each of the kids. Another was asking the kids their names and where they were from and writing it down. Another two had brought in bowls and a steaming pot of a delicious smelling soup and several loaves of bread. They were serving each one of the kids a bowl with a thick slice of fresh bread with butter after they were dressed in the sleepwear.

Nadya sat down on a chair and waited. She was happy for the kids but she teared up thinking that she wished she had been rescued when she was a child. But then she noticed the littlest girl was missing.

Sister Maria approached the young woman. She was not much younger than herself. She asked "Ты в порядке?"  
(Are you okay?)

"Да" Nadya said nodding her head then asked "Где маленькие зеленые глаза девушки?"  
(Yes. Where is the little green eyed girl?)

Sister Maria said "Ее семья здесь. Она будет воссоединиться с ними в ближайшее время."  
(Her family is here. She will be reunited with them shortly.)

Nadya smiled "Я рад за нее."  
(I'm happy for her.)

Just before Sister Maria went to help the children dress she said "Сестра Фрэнсис найти вам что-то еще, чтобы носить. Она будет здесь в ближайшее время. Ты голоден?"  
(Sister Frances is finding you something else to wear. She will be here shortly. Are you hungry?)

Nadya just shook her head no and the nun headed off. Nadya could not eat right now she was happy but also so very nervous about going home. She was tainted and they would probably reject her. That scared her. What would happen to her if her family did not want her? She didn't have any skills except what she had done in the Cherry Club.

She closed her eyes a moment and just tried to breath and tell herself it would be alright. At least she was free now. If her family did not want a tainted woman then she would just have to find a way to survive like she had done for the past ten years.

Sister Esther entered the room and looked around. She smiled. The Lord had sent her to Tatiana for a reason tonight. She headed straight for the young woman.

Stopping in front of her. Sister Esther wished she had something more appropriate for the young woman to wear. But that was of little consequence at the moment. She said softly "Nadya бы вы, пожалуйста, со мной."  
(Nadya would you please come with me.)

Nadya asked "Вы сестра Френсис?"  
(Are you Sister Frances?)

Esther shook her head but said "Не я. Но я все еще хочу, чтобы ты со мной на мгновение. Вы здесь в безопасности."  
(I am not. But I still need you to come with me for a moment. You are safe here.)

Nadya stood up and followed the nun out of the room. She wondered where she was being taken. Perhaps they had a room just for her. She would love to shower and put on something more decent. Nadya felt so whorish and tainted among all these nuns dressed as she was and with her face all made up.

* * *

 _ **Abbey on the Outskirts of Makhachkala – Unit's Room**_

Mason set Blondie down on the bed carefully. He took a knee so he was closer to the low bed and carefully undid the vest. He slipped it off Blondie knowing he would be more comfortable without it.

Then Mason undid the laces and slipped off the Salvatore Ferragamo shoes as he wondered who would pay two thousand dollars for a pair of shoes. Mason believed money like that would be better spent on a nice hunting rifle. Although Mason had to agree that Blondie had certainly looked the part of Maks dressed in nearly eight thousand dollars' worth of clothes.

Too bad they were all ruined being splattered with blood and puke. But Blondie would be more comfortable in his comfortable jeans and t-shirt. After Patch checked Blondie out he would help Matt clean up Blondie and get him changed.

Matt hung the saline bag on a nail that was in the wall above the bed. Then he picked up one of the blankets that were sitting on a simple chair. Matt covered Sam as Mason took off his second shoe.

Then Matt adjusted the pillows under Sam's head so he would be more comfortable. He looked down at his bruised jaw and pale, sweaty face. He silently pleaded, fight Sam, fight hard. I cannot lose you this way. Not after everything you've already beaten.

Patch and Mike carefully set Ripsaw on a bed. Mike held Ripsaw's IV solution bag not knowing wear to hang it as Patch helped Ripsaw out of his vest and removed boots. Patch grabbed several pillows off the other beds and positioned them under Ripsaw's leg elevating it above his heart.

Dom gently laid Nicolette on a bed and Sister Maria laid Anna-Marie next to her. Then the nun headed out of the room. She was needed to help the other children and she wanted to arrange something to eat for these brave men.

Covering his precious girls up with a blanket Dom let the tears fill his eyes. He had done it. They had done it. His girls were safe.

Dom knelt beside the bed and looked at his sweet ones. He hated what they were wearing and decided he would acquire them something decent to wear before they left. He did not want Jeanette to see them dressed this way. Dom removed the bows from their hair and threw them in anger across the room with a feral growl.

The guys in the room stopped what they were doing a moment. They were witness to a father's deep anguish. They resumed what they needed to do to care for Blondie and Ripsaw and settle in themselves and to give Dom as much privacy as they could in this room.

Dom undid the pigtail braids and gently smoothed out their hair. His girls hated pig tails. Jeanette always styled their hair with delicate French braids framing their pretty faces and left the of their silky hair long.

He leaned down and gently kissed his girls cheeks and whispered "Papa est ici mon doux. Papa est ici et il ne laissera jamais personne te blesser. Je suis tellement désolée que ça m'a pris si longtemps pour vous joindre mes doux. Papa vous aime. Je te ramènerai bientôt chez maman."  
(Papa is here my sweet ones. Papa is here and he will never let anyone hurt you again. I'm so sorry it took me so long to get to you my sweet ones. Papa loves you. I will get you home of Mama real soon.)

Dom then turned to Patch and asked "Can you keep them sedated? I do not want them remembering any of this. What they went through is bad enough. I want them to wake in their own home with their mother and me holding them so they know they are safe."

Patch replied "Yes, I can do that. I do not know what they were given. But I can start IVs because I do not want them to dehydrate. I will have a sedative ready once they begin to stir. We will need to watch them closely. Do they have any allergies?"

Dom answered "No allergies known. Thank you."

Patch nodded and then asked Ripsaw as he saw the beads of sweat break out on Ripsaw's forehead "What's your pain level?"

Letting out a slow breath Ripsaw said "Seven" as he pushed his head down on the pillow.

Patch took off his pack and opened it. "I'm gonna give you a good dose of morphine. You need to rest. You lost a fair amount of blood buddy and are a bit shocky."

Dom got up off the floor and sat down on the end of the bed his girls were laying in. He watched the unit work to take care of their own. It reminded him of the old days with his SAS unit. Patch was a good medic. They were a good unit. The best.

He glanced at Sam and his heart dropped. Poisoned. God he hoped Sam made it through this. It would be a deep tear in his soul if William's son died saving his daughters.

Mike removed a picture from the wall and hung the saline bag after seeing what Matt had done with it. Then he covered Ripsaw with a blanket. He saw Ripsaw shiver and asked "Warm enough or do you want another blanket?"

Ripsaw shivered a bit more feeling both hot and cold at the same time. "Another please."

Mike got another blanket and covered him while Patch pushed the pain meds through the IV line.

"You should be feeling relief very shortly Ripsaw. Just close your eyes and rest now. We got ya buddy" Patch said.

Ripsaw closed his eyes as he felt his body become heavy and lethargic as the morphine began to take effect. He drifted into a drug induced sleep.

Patch started to do a complete vitals check on Ripsaw and make notes. Ripsaw's pulse was strong. His blood pressure was a little elevated but with the stress of tonight on his body that was to be expected. Thankfully respiration was normal although Ripsaw's temperature was slightly elevated.

He would watch that closely. Patch had started antibiotics and he was hopeful that infection would not set in. However, he was concerned about the bullet hitting the bone. If infection got into the bone, that would be bad news. They needed to get Ripsaw to a proper hospital soon.

Mason removed his own vest and then sat on the floor at the foot of Blondie's bed. He reached out a hand and placed it on Blondie's leg.

Matt got some gauze from Patch's pack and changed out the bloody gauze in Sam's nose. Then he wiped his sweaty face with the remainder of the gauze pad. Matt slumped down onto the floor at the head of the bed and put his hand on Blondie's shoulder.

He was so very grateful that the Abbess had helped Sam by hypnotizing him. Matt wished that a post hypnotic suggestion would work. He was sure that Sam would need IVs in the future, hell even vaccinations. His fear of needles was even greater than his fear of water. The fear of needles would be a continuing problem that the unit would need to figure out a solution too.

As he leaned his head back on the wall his mind returned to Sam's fear of water. That fear of water could have cost him a spot in Special Forces. Before Sam was captured and tortured he had always thought that Sam had lucked out the day they were supposed to do their water tests. Matt wasn't so sure now after all Sam had been through whether that day was lucky or unlucky.

The boat they were supposed to take to the open water test zone broke down. So the Drill Sergeant moved their test into the pool instead of rescheduling it. Sam somehow sucked it up enough to pass the test. Matt wasn't really sure how he did it, but he did. In the past two years, Sam had done a lot of things that amazed him. Matt hoped that beating this poison would be one more amazing thing he could add to the list.

Matt patted Sam's shoulder and said "Amaze me again brother. Get stubborn and do not let this poison win."

Patch finished checking Ripsaw and stood. He headed over to check on Blondie and update the vitals checks he had done in the van on him. Next he would get the IVs started on the girls. Patch was glad he had Mike grabbed more saline.

After Mike had put the second blanket on Ripsaw and made sure Patch did not need his help further then he wearily sat down next to Dom and look towards Sam. In a quiet undertone he said to Dom "Panin needs to die."

Dom turned and looked at Mike "He's not dead?"

Mike shook his head "It was a decision made because of complications. They said a Prince came in with guards. They left Panin for the Prince. But the Prince was killed. With the airport thing, that means that Panin was still alive and has the police paid off. There will be no justice here. Panin will find a way to get back into business. Roaches like him always seem to scurry away into the night."

Dom nodded but said "Not if I have anything to say about it. But I have priorities. Get the girls home and you all to Kandahar. Take care of the leak. Then take care of Panin."

Mike asked "The leak?"

Dom nodded "Yeah, the person that told the scum brothers who I was. She betrayed me and others."

Then he said very quietly "One that was betrayed was the General. You need take extra precautions with the General and his family. I have no idea who else she may have betrayed us too."

Mike nodded and said "I want to help take care of Panin."

Dom arched a brow "Why?"

"Let's just say … he deserves to die for the things he has done to many" Mike responded.

"Fair enough. I will not pry. We need to determine a safe way out of here for Sam and Mason though" Dom stated.

Leaning back Mike nodded "Yeah. I've been giving that some thought. Getting Mason out will be the hardest. When I saw the nuns I thought perhaps we could dress him in a habit."

Dom chuckled "He'd make one ugly nun."

Mike grinned "Doubt we could get him to wear the habit."

Mason grumbled "I heard that. No we need another way. I refuse to wear a nun's habit."

The guys all chuckled at that and then relaxed as they removed their vests. Shortly after Patch got the IV started on the girls the nuns brought a tray full of thick roast beef sandwiches and coffee. They tucked into eating the sandwiches after thanking the nuns.

* * *

 _ **Abbey on the Outskirts of Makhachkala – Kitchen**_

Anastasia sat with Elsa in the kitchen who was wearing a long nightgown. Elsa was slowly eating a bowl of soup by dipping the fresh bread into the soup. The little one was so famished but her little eyes were drooping with tiredness as she ate.

The Abbess explained she wanted the reunion of Elsa with her family to be in a warm and inviting place. So she had taken her and Elsa to the kitchen. Then the nuns had brought clothes and set a bowl of soup out for Elsa.

Anastasia had removed her balaclava mask and released her hair from the bun and removed her vest. The nuns had supplied her with coffee and a nice sandwich. Anastasia was starving and had made short work of the sandwich. She had seen the tray of laden with food that was taken to the guys. So she did not feel guilty about eating herself.

Elsa's eyes slowly closed and her head headed for the table. Anastasia asked "Hey little one. Are you done eating?"

"Uh huh" Elsa said sleepily.

Anastasia reached out and picked her up and cradled Elsa in her arms. She saw a nun usher Nadya into the room and asked her to sit at the kitchen bench table across from her.

Nadya smiled at Elsa and the lady who she could see had beautiful blonde hair. A bowl of hearty soup was placed in front of her and Nadya found that she could finally eat something. She dipped the bread into the soup and took a bite. She closed her eyes and sighed.

Anastasia had heard Ripsaw speak Georgain to the young woman so she spoke that language as she said "Es aris dzalian gemrieli tsvniani. Mindoda madloba gadagikhadot' t'k'veni dakhmareba dghes. Shegidzliat' saamaqo, rats' t'k'ven gaaket'et'. T'k'ven gak'vt' kargi guli. Me ra t'k'ma unda vut'khra Elsa mshoblebi, rom t'k'ven daekhmara gadarch'ena mat'i k'alishvili."  
(It is very tasty soup. I wanted to thank you for your help tonight. You can be proud of what you did. You have a good heart. I will be sure to tell Elsa's parents that you helped save their daughter.)

Nadya blushed. Everyone was being so nice to her even though she was nothing but a whore. She said "Me namdvilad ar bevri arap'eri."  
(I really didn't do much of anything.)

Smiling, Anastasia responded "T'k'ven up'ro meti gaaket'a, vidre t'k'ven its'it'. Ch'ven ar unda miighos im bavshvebis meshveobit' setqva tqviebi. Ch'ven shevdzelit', rom mat' usap'rt'khod meshveobit', romelits' biliks. Ch'ven ver gavaket'et', rom t'k'vens gareshe. Ch'ven ar vits'it', arsebobda. T'k'ven gadaarch'ina Elsa da danarch'eni bavshvebi, iseve rogorts' nebismier danarch'en us. Es iqo gundis dzaliskhmeva."  
(You did more than you know. We did not have to take those children out through a hail of bullets. We were able to take them safely through that passageway. We could not have done that without you. We did not know it existed. You saved Elsa and the rest of kids just as much as any of the rest of us. It was a team effort.)

Then still speaking Georgian, Anastasia asked Nadya "I'd like to help you find your family. Can you tell me how you came to be at that place?"

Nadya explained to Anastasia that when she was eleven she had been walking home from school and was pulled into a van. Something terrible smelling on a rag covered her mouth and she passed out. When she woke up she was in a room in the Cherry Club.

She put down the spoon and brushed tears away as she said that she was alone in the room and naked. That after a very long time she was really hungry. A man came in and gave her some food. For several weeks she was alone in the room and only one man came in and brought her a little bit of food every day.

A little sob escaped when she said that one day a different man came in. That day she was raped for the first time. After that it became an almost daily thing. When she tried to fight they would beat her and then rape her. So she learned quickly to do what was expected because she would be raped either way.

Nadya told the beautiful woman that for years she had hoped someone would rescue her. But then gave up hope of ever being rescued and accepted that was where she would always be.

A small shy smile graced Nadya's face as she said "Dghemde. Me minda sakhlshi tsasvla ch'ems ojakhs. Menatreba mat'."  
(Until today. I want to go home to my family. I miss them.)

Nadya's smile disappeared as she added "Magram me ar vp'ik'rob, rom isini minda me. Var uvargisi."  
(But I do not think they will want me. I'm tainted.)

Anastasia reached out across the table and clasped the young woman's hand and squeezed gently. This poor girl had been so abused but still had a pure heart.

She softly said "T'k'ven khart' lamazi da sup't'a gulis shignit'. T'k'ven ar uvargisi. Gadarch'a da rodesats' t'k'ven shegedzlot' tsaart'va shesadzlebloba miighos dashorebit' t'k'veni sakit'khebs. Da amit' t'k'ven daekhmara skhvebits'. Nadya, mokharuli var, rom me mivighe shekhvdeba t'k'ven. Davrch'ebi daukavshirda t'k'ven. T'u t'k'ven gchirdebat' arap'eri qvela shegidzliat' ch'emt'an."  
(You are beautiful and pure of heart inside. You are not tainted. You survived and when you could you seized the opportunity to get away from your abusers. And in doing so you helped others too. Nadya, I am happy that I got to meet you. I will stay in touch with you. If you need anything at all you can contact me.)

Their conversation was interrupted when the kitchen door opened.

* * *

 _ **Abbey on the Outskirts of Makhachkala – Andro's and Tatiana's Room**_

Andro was wakened by a hand on his shoulder. He blinked open his eyes. It felt like he had only just fallen asleep. He looked at the Abbess and asked "Is everything okay?" as he looked over at the other bed with Tatiana and then over to Luka.

Mary Catherine said softly "Yes everything is okay but I need you and Tatiana to come with me to the kitchen. It is important."

Andro was not sure what it was but dread increased that they had found Elsa and it was bad. But then the Abbess did not look like she had bad news to share so it was confusing. He got out of bad and went to Tatiana and shook her gently to wake her.

Tatiana rubbed her eyes and asked "Andro, what is it? Is Luka okay? Are you okay?"

Andro responded "The Abbess needs us to go with her to the kitchen. She said it is important."

Getting out of bed, Tatiana put on a robe over her pajamas. She smoothed her hair down and looked at the Abbess.

* * *

 _ **Abbey on the Outskirts of Makhachkala – Kitchen**_

Abbess Mary Catherine led Andro and Tatiana to the kitchen. She saw Sister Esther exit the kitchen and asked "Is she in there?"

Sister Esther answered "Yes. I'm sorry but the young woman is still dressed as she was. Sister Frances is locating something more suitable and arranging a bath for her."

Andros asked "A young woman? Does she know something about Elsa?"

Smiling, Mary Catherine answered "I think she might. Come with me."

She opened the door and then allowed Andro and Tatiana enter the room.

Andro saw two women sitting at a bench table at the other side of the large kitchen. A woman with long blonde hair had her back to them. The other woman shocked him. She was wearing next to nothing and had a haunted look about her that the heavy make-up did not cover.

He continued into the room even as Tatiana stopped dead in her tracks.

Tatiana's eyes landed on the young woman. From this distance she looked so forlorn. It was heartbreaking to see the way she was dressed. Tatiana knew the sisters here cared for many lost souls and orphans. She was glad that she and Andro were donating. If this young woman was receiving care from the sisters their donations were well used.

Andro moved to the end of the bench table mostly looking at the prostitute. He could not shake a weird feeling. But then his eyes shifted to the blonde woman.

In her arms, Andro saw the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. His eyes teared up and he raced forward as he called out "Elsa. My Elsa."

Elsa opened her eyes as she lifted her head from the pretty lady's chest at the sound of her daddy. She saw her daddy rushing towards her. Elsa cried out loudly "DADDY. DADDY!"

Andro stopped in front of her and reached out. Elsa reached out to her daddy. Andro lifted his precious daughter into his arms and pulled her close to him and cried "Thank you Lord."

Elsa snuggled as close to her daddy as she could as her daddy's strong arms hugged her close and she felt safe again.

Anastasia watched the happy reunion.

At Andro's and Elsa's yells Tatiana rushed forward. Her daughter. Her sweet little girl was here. Tatiana's heart rejoiced and burst with joy.

Tatiana's eyes landed on Elsa in Andro's arms. That was all she saw, everyone else in the room faded away. Tatiana reached her daughter in an instant and held out her arms for Elsa as Elsa cried out "Mommy."

She hugged Elsa to her, holding Elsa tightly as if she would disappear. Andro wrapped his arms around his wife and daughter and tears of joy were in everyone's eyes.

After several minutes Andro stepped back as Tatiana rocked Elsa and caressed her back comforting the crying girl. He turned to the Abbess and asked "How?"

Mary Catherine smiled at Andro and remarked "God's Guardian Angels."

Hearing that, Tatiana's eyes went to the blonde woman all in black and back to the scantily clad woman. Did these women bring Elsa here?

Now that Tatiana was so close to the younger woman see had a better view of her. Tatiana could only stare. She was not too sure what she was seeing.

Nadya had watched the reunion, she was so happy for the little girl. She was back with her mother and father. She bowed her head under the scrutiny of the woman though. Nadya knew what she must look like. She looked like a whore. That was what she had been for ten years. But it was not what she had wanted to be.

The woman bowed her head and Tatiana blinked rapidly. She was surely seeing things. The woman across the table was the exact image of her mother in her parent's wedding photo.

Nadya lowered her eyes in shame as the woman continued to stare. She was probably think that her daughter was tainted by just being near her no matter what the beautiful blonde woman had said. She was a whore and not fit to be around good people. She should go and leave this family in peace.

Tatiana turned to Andro and said "Please take Elsa."

Elsa went to her daddy's arms readily but looked at her mommy.

Tatiana stepped around the table and came close to the woman and tentatively said "You look just like my mother when she was young."

Nadya lifted her head and looked up at the woman who had come close. She had no idea what she said. But she smiled shyly.

Tatiana's eyes went wide and her hand covered her mouth as chills went down her spine. That shy smile. She knew that smile. Tatiana's voice was unsure and shook with emotion as she said "Nadya?"

Nadya blinked. How did that woman know her name? She answered quietly "Diakh, ch'emi sakheli aris Nadya."  
(Yes my name is Nadya.)

Tears sprouted in Tatiana's green eyes as she asked "Khart' t'u ara Nadya Janashias?"  
(Are you Nadya Janashia?)

Nadya's eyes narrowed as she looked at the woman. How did she know both of her names? The green eyed woman sat down next to her and they continued to stare at one another.

As Nadya stared at those green eyes that were so like the little girl's green eyes, her own green eyes widened, as slow recognition came to her. Shakily Nadya ventured in a tone of disbelief "Tati … Tati?"

Tatiana nodded slowly as she reached out and embraced her long lost sister and said "Nadya vp'ik'robdi, rom vegharasodes gnakhav. ch'ven ch'anda ase amdeni khnis ganmavlobashi."  
(Nadya I thought I would never see you again. We looked so hard for so long.)

Then Tatiana sobbed "Oh Nadya, Nadya. Nadya."

Andro stood dumbstruck at Tatiana's words. He blinked and blinked and tried to imagine Nadya grown up and to see through all that garish make-up.

Tatiana finally turned to Andro and her voice was breathless "Andro, this is Nadya. My little sister. I'm sure it is. She is the image of our mother at that age."

Andro sat heavily on the bench seat with Elsa securely in his arms. He was completely overwhelmed. Andro looked up at Abbess Mary Catherine and asked again "How?"

Anastasia placed a hand on Andro and said "As the Abbess said, God's Warriors."

His face screwed up in confusion "No she said God's Guardian Angels."

Smiling Anastasia shrugged and said "One and the same thing." Then she stood and said "If you will excuse me I have some angels to go check on."

Then to Nadya, Anastasia stated "Dzalian bednieri var, t'k'vent'vis. Gakhsovdet', rom t'k'ven lamazi da sup't'a guli. Arasodes ar sheits'vleba rom natsili. Me vik'nebi daukavshirda t'k'ven male. Iqavi dzlieri da lamazi da madloba kidev ert'khel t'k'veni dakhmareba."  
(I am so happy for you. Remember you have a beautiful and kind heart. Never change that part of you. I will be in touch with you soon. Stay strong and beautiful and thank you again for your help.)

Andro assumed the woman was the one that brought his daughter back to him and he said "I can never repay you for what you have done. I am forever in your debt. You will be in my prayers from this day forth."

Anastasia turned to pick up her things and nodded as she corrected "It was not only me. Please pray for my friends too. Two of them could really use all the help they can get."

Mary Catherine stepped in stated "If you will excuse us, I must see to the needs of my guests who were never here. Understand?"

Seeing the blonde woman who was dressed all in black pick up a black face mask, a bullet resistant vest and a handgun Andro understood perfectly. Well not perfectly but enough. So he nodded and declared "What guests Abbess? I see no one."

Mary Catherine smiled and said "I will be in to check on you and your family in a bit." Then she said to Anastasia "Follow me please."

As they headed out, Anastasia and Mary Catherine heard Elsa say "They saved me from the bad men. The giant was sad. I gave him a hug and he hugged me back. The pretty lady was nice to me. The blonde man said mean things but the nice man with the same color hair as you daddy gave his clothes to a boy and he said he only said those things to save me. He said he is nice too. I think they are all nice."

Andro loved the innocent rambling of his daughter and readily agreed "Yes pumpkin." He hugged her close.

Then he looked at Tatiana and Nadya who were still in awe that they had been reunited after so many years he smiled. Then he said "I think we need to retire to our room and wake Luka up so he can welcome his little sister home too."

Tatiana stood and pulled her sister up. Then she put her arm around her little sister and pulled her close. Tatiana said "Modi dis, minda, rom luka. Man imdenad gaizarda. Ase rom, t'k'ven. Ch'ven gvqavs bevri ganikhilavs."  
(Come sister, I want you to see Luka. He has grown so much. So have you. We have much to discuss.)

Nadya said "Ara ghirs var me, rom iqos kargi adamiani. Me uvargisi. T'k'ven ar unda davushvat' ch'ems garshemo t'k'veni shvili."  
(I am not fit to be with good people. I am tainted. You should not allow me around your children.)

Tatiana stopped and looked at her sister and said seriously "Mak'vs t'valebi dis da qurebi dzalian. gavigone, rom ledi ganats'khada. Is iqo mart'ali. Rats' mokhda, t'u ar iqo t'k'veni arch'evanit'. Ghmert'ma dabrunda ch'emt'an da es aris qvela, rom sakit'khebi. T'k'ven khart' sakhlshi aris. Ch'ven vart' ojakhi da ch'ven ak' vart' t'k'vent'vis ar ak'vs mnishvneloba ra. Me miqvars t'k'ven Nadya, qovelt'vis da qovelt'vis ik'neba."  
(I have eyes sister and ears too. I heard what that lady said. She was right. Whatever happened to you was not of your choosing. God has returned you to me and that is all that matters. You are home now. We are family and we are here for you no matter what. I love you Nadya, always have and always will.)

Nadya started crying and held onto her sister. Tatiana whispered soothing words and stroked her sister's back until she finally calmed down. She knew that her sister had been through a terrible ordeal. Nadya would need counseling, probably a lot of it, to heal. But she would be there for her sister the entire journey.

There was more hurt to come for Nadya when Tatiana would have to tell her about their parents. But she would help Nadya grieve too. She would never abandon her sister even if she needed her help for the rest of her life.

.

* * *

 _ **AN:** Sorry for delay in posting but to make up for it, this is a very long chapter. Partly because it needed to be for a natural breaking point in the story._

 _Promise more Sam in the next chapter but I felt it was natural to tell you everyone's story. I can see this story is gonna be a long one as I begin to wrap up all the loose ends properly. I hope you will enjoy the journey that explores a bit more about how Sam's actions positively affect more people than he will ever know._


	44. Family Honor, Wash Up & Very Light Green

**Family Honor, Wash Up & Very Light Green**

* * *

 _ **Sattar Palace**_

Panin strode into the tastefully decorated room of the palace. It was a full of art and artifacts that were beyond expensive. He headed for one of the white chairs facing each other and separated by a low table and sat down.

The flight here had been not too bad. The private jet was a nice way to travel. That is if you were not sitting next to a dead body. Which Panin was. The guards had strapped the Prince into the seat next to him. That was just gross. He was glad that the flight was only an hour and a half long.

Although he had attempted to converse with the guards on the flight, neither of the guards had spoken to him once since they left the Cherry Club. They however stared at him and made him feel a bit uncomfortable. But once they landed those guards left and he was greeted by much friendlier guards and driving here in a limo.

As he settled his large girth more comfortably into the chair Panin thought about when he had arrived at customs in the Makhachkala airport. An oily smile appeared on his face as he recalled being so happy to see the amount of police roaming the airport. His police lackey had done well for him.

All the security check points had a photo of Maks, the real one, but the cocky SOB really did look like him. They also had a description of the huge guard too. Panin knew that the police would catch them at the airport or at a border crossing.

Panin briefly wondered who they really were. But really it was no matter because they would be thrown in jail and never see the light of day again. Once he arranged for a loan from the Prince's father he would be back in business. Then he would put a hit out on that cocky SOB that had impersonated Maks and his guard that choked him twice. Both of them would only leave prison in a pine box.

Sheikh Ismad Baasid Sattar, Crown Prince of Oshar watched the man via a monitor as Panin entered the room and sat down like he owned the place. Ismad's eyes narrowed in on the fat, oily, slob of a man. The man disgusted him. Panin had no honor and was not fit to clean their sewers.

Ismad took a moment as a he collected himself before entering the room. It fell to him as the oldest son to speak with Panin Savelievich about his brother's death. He was the most level-headed one of his brothers. But he could be ruthless too. It was a mix that was needed to rule and his father had groomed him from a very young age so he would be prepared.

His four brothers were less disciplined and his youngest brother Abdur was the worst of the lot. Sadly, Ismad could not pick his brothers and he had never truly liked his little brother Abdur. His brother Abdur was not honorable.

Abdur was a sick man with perverted tastes. At their father's behest, Ismad tolerated Abdur. His father's one failing was that he was too soft when it came to family. His father had indulged and financed Abdur's life so long as Abdur kept his sexual tastes from public view. He had assigned specific extremely loyal guards to Abdur to ensure just that too.

Ismad had to admit that Abdur had done well at keeping his activities secret. As far as the public knew Abdur was just as normal as the rest of his family. Abdur had kept his shameful and disgusting habits from tainting the family honor.

As much as Ismad disliked his dissolute brother, Abdur was still his brother and of royal blood. His death needed to be avenged. The oily man in that room was the cause of the situation that brought about Abdur's death and nearly exposed the family's black sheep to the world. That could not be allowed to happen.

Fully in command of his emotions now, Ismad headed into the room. As he approached the Russian, his expression was placid. It was a skill he had and used with great success in all the family's business dealings. No one could ever read him.

"Panin Savelievich welcome to my home" Ismad said cordially as he casually clasped his hand together in front of him.

Panin remained sitting and said "King Sattar let me say …"

Ismad was annoyed that the man had not risen and shown the respect he should have. However, none of that annoyance showed on his face or in his voice as Ismad cut Panin off "You are mistaken. I am Sheikh Ismad Baasid Sattar, Crown Prince of Oshar. The Sheikh of Oshar is too busy to meet with you at this time. May I offer you refreshment as we speak?"

"I am rather famished after the horrible events last evening" Panin stated wondering at the word Sheikh. He pushed it off not really caring.

With only a slight nod to the man who had entered behind the him, the man left the room. Then Ismad pronounced "Refreshment is forthcoming."

Ismad headed to the chair opposite the disgusting Panin and gracefully lowered his tall, lithe body into the chair. Ismad rested his hands on the arms of the chair presenting body language that was non-threatening and open. It was a practiced technique used to put others at ease so he could attain the upper hand in negotiations.

He smiled slightly and remarked "I hope you will like our local fare."

Panin relaxed his body. He had been very tense not knowing what to expect. But this was so good. The Prince's brother was open and friendly and Panin was being treated as guest. Even though the guards had glared at him it was clear the brother held no ill will towards him for his brother's death. He was could see that loan being granted with very little effort now.

All he had to do was tell the tale he had refined on the plane. Panin smiled and replied "I'm sure I will."

The man reentered with a large tray filled with dates, dried fruit, candied fruit and nuts. It also held two small plates, a coffee pot and two cups. The man set the tray on the table between the Crown Prince and his guest. Then he poured coffee into two small coffee cups without handles and then left the room.

Waving his right hand towards the tray of delicacies Ismad offered "Please help yourself. The coffee is Amman which is mainly a dark roast with cardamom. I think you will enjoy the flavor."

Crown Prince Ismad then leaned forward and picked up one candied fruit with his right hand. He popped the fruit into his mouth and chewed slowly as he watched Panin.

Panin leaned forward and greedily filled the small plate with candied fruits using his left hand. Then he picked up the coffee and plate and sat back. He settled the plate on his wide, left thigh while he held the coffee cup in his right. Then he waited for the Prince to pick up his cup and take a drink before he did.

As much of a guest as he was being treated as, Panin was still wary of the food and coffee being poisoned. He would be stupid not to be wary, it was a trick he used often. So, he had selected the same food the Prince had selected. Then he had watched the man carefully as he poured the coffee from the pot into the cups.

Knowing the sleight of hand tricks, Panin had noted that the man had not dropped anything into his cup. But the coffee itself could be dosed with something. So, he waited for the Prince to drink first.

The Crown Prince read Panin's actions and hesitation and determined the man was wary the food and drink might have been poisoned. Internally Ismad laughed and thought what an amateur thing to do. There were much easier ways to handle someone without tampering with good food and drink.

Ismad swallowed the candied fruit. He would not be eating more candied fruits, not because they were poisoned but because they were now unclean and would have to be thrown away. Ismad reached forward and picked up his cup in his right hand and took a sip "Mmmm, nothing better than Amman coffee."

Then Ismad sat back and said "Please tell me how my brother died."

Panin noisily slurped his coffee enjoying the flavor of the cardamom in it. He would have to get some Amman coffee. It was very tasty and if it was enjoyed by a Prince then he too should enjoy it. Panin stuffed two candied fruits in his mouth with his left hand as he began to spin his tale of woe.

Ismad watched disgusted as the man talked with his mouth full of food and wiped his hands on the white chair instead of picking up one of the napkins. Panin had grotesque manners and used his unclean hand to eat. It was disgusting to watch but Ismad's expression remained placid giving no indication how thoroughly disgusted he was by the man in front of him.

As he ate, Panin told the Prince how he was deceived by a man claiming to be Maks Gennadiyevich and that the fake Maks had gone on a rampage killing all his guards and Abdur when Abdur won the auction and somehow inserted a virus into his computer that wiped out his accounts while he was bidding. Panin drank two cups of coffee and ate most of the candied fruits as the Prince sat and listened calmly. Panin got the feeling he was being successful when the Prince agreed that was terrible to be deceived in such a fashion.

Panin then said "I am sorry Abdur was killed. He was a good man and a good friend. I wish I had been conscious so I could have saved him. My condolences to you and your entire family."

Ismad sat and listened to the rubbish spun by this depraved, self-absorbed, fat slob. Abdur's lead guard had already told him and his father absolutely everything that had transpired. Their men were loyal and what the guard told them was the truth. What this sickening piece of flabby, oily flesh was saying was nothing but lies spun to save his own disgustingly large ass.

But Ismad smiled blandly and said "Thank you for telling me what happened. Perhaps you would like to be shown to your room and rest a bit after such an ordeal."

Panin's oily smile spread across his face "Yes that would be nice. Perhaps I could speak directly with your father later. I have a business proposition I'd like to discuss with him."

Crown Prince Ismad stood and clapped his hands once. He spoke in Arabic to the man that appeared very quickly and then turned to the slob and said "Perhaps, however I am in charge of business negotiations. We can speak after dinner. But for now, you appear to need a rest. Please follow my man. He will show you to a room. Please make use of the items you find in the room, it is well supplied with most anything you would need."

Panin stood and followed the man out of the room. He was thinking that this could not be better. He was being treated with respect, almost royally. Panin smiled as thought of the good rapport he had just built with the Prince. It would be good that he was the one to speak to about the loan. Panin knew that soon he would be able to seek vengeance on that Maks impostor.

When Panin was gone from the room, three younger men and one older man entered the room. The three younger men wore expressions that ranged from anger to grief. The older man's features were set hard and at first glance looked cold. But there was sadness mixed with a look of relief in his eyes.

Ismad turned to the older man and asked "What do you wish us to do with him father?"

"Death is too easy for him. I leave it to you to decide how to deal with him Ismad. I trust your judgement" Sheikh Omar Fahad Sattar stated flatly as he looked at his eldest son and heir.

Sheikh Sattar was distraught that his son Abdur was dead. It was hard to lose a child. But perhaps it was better he was gone. Abdur was a stain on the family's honor. He had been too soft on Abdur and he could see that now. If he had reined him in more, Abdur might still be alive.

But sadly, Abdur's sexual appetites had only become more depraved after he had met Maks Gennadiyevich. Omar could turn a blind eye when it was just young and pretty consenting men. But when he found out recently that Abdur had started buying men and innocent children to fulfill his needs, Omar knew he would have to put a stop to it.

The reality of this situation was now he did not have too. A blonde man impersonating Maks had resolved the situation for him due to Abdur's own rash actions. The guard told him that Abdur would not stay in the room while the firefight was going on. Abdur was angry and he also wanted the pretty, blonde man. Abdur's action cost him his life and the lives of five good guards.

At his father's praise and decision, the first sign of emotion flickered on Ismad's face "Thank you father. He will pay for Abdur's death many times over and will wish he were dead for the rest of his miserable life."

Two of Abdur's three other brothers grinned. Fawwaz and Khalid knew that their eldest brother would avenge Abdur's death in a ruthless way. Ismad was honorable but when crossed, and killing a brother was the worst way to cross him, Ismad would be your worst nightmare. Ismad did not kill, but whomever was the target of his vengeance would wish they were dead.

But Sharaf was angry that they only had Panin. They did not have the one who did the actual killing. Angrily Sharaf asked "What of the man that impersonated Maks Gennadiyevich? Should we not track him down and avenge Abdur's death?"

The Sheikh thought a moment over everything the guards had told them. Omar finally answered "No I think not. From what the guards said those men were after one thing only, the girls. The way they dressed the girls in Kevlar vests indicated it was a rescue not stealing the girls. They did not fire on Abdur and his guards when they were unarmed. The blonde only killed one guard when the guard tried to attack him after he was warned not to move as they were leaving."

Omar drew a deep breath and continued "If Abdur had not been hotheaded and had heeded the blonde's warning and not followed, then Abdur would be alive. Yes, the blonde killed him but Abdur was armed and attacking. It was a battle. The blonde had honor in not shooting an unarmed man unless threatened."

Sharaf was not satisfied "How is that any different than what that oily man did to Abdur? The blonde man was the one that shot Abdur."

Ismad drew on his placid façade when he had to deal with Sharaf. He was nearly as rash as Abdur and that could bring dishonor to the family if Sharaf did not learn to temper his emotions.

He calmly stated "Sharaf, open your eyes and think with your head, not your heart. Do not be blind. Panin has no honor and is a disgusting human being making money off of slavery and prostitution. He deceived Abdur and planned to dishonestly double his money on the sale of those girls."

Pointing to the chair Panin had sat in Ismad added "That oily, slob sat right there enjoying our hospitality and lied to my face. That is dishonorable. He trafficked in children and that is despicable and depraved."

Fawwaz and Khalid both nodded in agreement with everything Ismad stated.

Ismad then declared "From what we've been told by the guards that were with Abdur, the blonde was a warrior forced to kill our brother. The blonde only fired when Abdur was about to kill a man who was already down and unarmed. There is no dishonor in defending yourself or your brothers in battle."

"You heard the guard's full report. The blonde put himself in the line of fire so the large one could get out with the girls. Then he stopped to assist his fallen buddy when they were under heavy fire even though he was very ill and likely dying. You heard Panin gloat that he had poisoned the blonde. There is no vengeance to seek against the blonde. He acted with honor. Abdur's and Panin's actions were dishonorable. Abdur has already paid with his life for his actions. I plan to make that fat, slob pay for his for the rest of his life" Ismad concluded.

Sharaf glowered as his anger took root but held his tongue and only nodded. He did not agree but then again he rarely agreed with much of what his eldest brother said. Sharaf decided that he would locate the blonde on his own and avenge Abdur's death.

Ismad then turned to the Sheikh, "If you will excuse me Father, I shall go make the appropriate arrangements for our guest."

Omar waved Ismad out and then turned to Sharaf. He knew his sons well. Sharaf may have nodded but he did not agree. Omar could see the fire burning in Sharaf and he needed to stop something before it could even start. He could not allow Abdur's dishonor to fuel Sharaf's actions and make this situation worse than it already was.

The Sheikh stated firmly "Sharaf, you will take no actions to locate the blonde. That is my command. Should I find you have ignored it and make attempts to locate him, you will be dealt with harshly."

Sharaf nodded and bowed "As you wish Father."

He left the room stewing but he would follow his father's iron command. It was not often that his father commanded any one of them. But when he did, they knew he was serious and the ramifications would be exceedingly severe.

His uncle Saalim had disobeyed a command just after his father became Sheikh. The result was that Saalim and his offspring were disowned and expelled from the country. Saalim, his wife, his three daughters and their teenage son Bandar had ended up in Canada.

That was nearly twenty years ago and no one in the family had disobeyed a command since then. Sharaf was not about to be the next one punished like that. So as much as he burned with hatred for the blonde he would follow his father's command.

* * *

 _ **Abbey on the Outskirts of Makhachkala – Unit's Room**_

Patch was holding the urinal as Blondie groggily urinated into it as he laid on his side on the bed. Blondie had woken needing to go which Patch was glad of since he really needed to test Blondie's urine to determine the level of diquat in his system. He had set the flow rate of the saline high to make this happen but Blondie was sweating so much in the last six hours he had not had to urinate.

Sam was hit by another intense wave of pain in his gut as he was going and automatically curled up in reaction. The result was messy. But Sam was in too much pain to even realize what he had done as his body moved and his eyes slammed shut tightly.

Patch jumped back and yipped as he expelled a loud "Shit" when his pants were doused in urine.

Matt was quickly at Sam's side and giving him a hand to squeeze to death as the pain rippled through him. Matt had been doing this for the last four hours when Sam was awake. He had no idea if it really helped but his hand was sufficiently aching to know that Sam used it as an anchor in this world as Sam fought the intense pain.

He looked up at Patch who was looking down in dismay at his wet pants. Matt's quirky sense of humor kicked in and teased Patch "That's piss not shit. Perhaps you should have paid more attention in medic class, buddy."

Patch had not expected that comment. Leave it to Matt to say something like that. A small chuckle slipped out as Patch retorted and tried in vain to not smile "Shut it Matt or you'll be wearing piss" as his raised the urinal and shook it mock threateningly towards Matt.

Mason chortled loudly at the interaction between Matt and Patch.

That broke the tension that had enveloped the room for the last four hours as Blondie struggled with the effects of the poison. He had slept two hours after being hypnotized. But Patch had to wake him after two hours to force more of the bentonite down Blondie. After that Blondie was in and out of wakefulness for the last four hours.

Sam's eyes opened as he rode the wave of pain on the downward side of the crest. He saw what he had done and he groaned then ground out a soft "Sorry, Patch."

Patch looked at Blondie and said "No apologies needed. I'm the one that is sorry. I wish I could give you something more for the pain and I could knock you out completely. But you have to drink more of the bentonite shortly, so that is not possible."

Mason quickly handed Patch a towel and said "Go wash up. I got Blondie. This is old hat for me."

Patch took the towel and handed the urinal over to Mason and nodded. No words were needed. Mason had helped Blondie with his basic personal needs when Blondie was catatonic. Mason always did it with no fuss and no muss. Patch grabbed his pack containing the clothes he wore at the base bar the night they left for this mission.

As he headed out Ripsaw quipped "At least it is not vomit like when Blondie puked on Winds. You don't stink."

Winds opened his eyes half way. He had awakened with Patch's loud exclaim of 'shit'. He checked his watch and saw he had been sleeping for about four hours. Blaze and he had made it back just before sunrise. They were so exhausted they had both simply dropped on beds and fallen asleep without bothering to eat.

Part of him wanted to go back to sleep but his stomach was telling him he was very hungry. And Winds also couldn't resist saying "Patch, you need to learn to move out of the way quicker."

Patch poked his head back in the room and responded "Careful Winds, or I'll share with you like you shared with Ripsaw."

Winds snickered remembering hugging Ripsaw and transferring puke to his shirt when Ripsaw told him he stunk after Blondie puked on him when Blondie got that bad migraine. He looked at Ripsaw and smiled.

Ripsaw just shook his head and softly chuckled recalling the same incident.

Sam groaned again. He felt bad for pissing on Patch. Hell, he still felt bad to puking on Winds too. When was he gonna quit adding to his list of embarrassing moments.

Mason knelt down and said "Sunshine, let's get this done, like before no reason to be embarrassed."

Sam finished his business and watched as Mason capped the urinal and put it under the bed. He was embarrassed and sorry it happened. But he knew none of them would tease him because he was not able to control his body when the pain hit. The burning pain in his gut consumed him like a wildfire when it hit hard and nothing in this world registered in that moment.

Matt handed Sam a damp washcloth so Sam could wipe his hands and said "Now that you are awake again we should get you completely washed up and into something more comfortable."

Mason agreed. He had wanted to do it earlier but was glad he did not. Blondie was woken up twice before to drink more of that bentonite. Each time he had gagged and ended up puking up half the dosage. They had removed his soiled shirt but the designer pants he was wearing were completely ruined and filthy now being stained with blood, puke and bentonite.

Sam shook his head. He did not feel like moving a muscle. He wanted to just curl up and fall back into a drug induced sleep to get away from the pain. He managed to find his voice again and eek out through his burning throat "No. Leave me be."

Blaze sat up and rubbed his red-rimmed tired eyes and then looked at Blondie. Everyone except him, Blondie, Winds and Patch had showered and changed. Patch was now taking care of that, helped along by a bit of an accident.

He knew that Patch had not wanted to leave Blondie for a moment. But this accident hastened Patch's need for a shower and change. Blaze knew that he should get one too and that Blondie would be more comfortable getting cleaned up with less of an audience.

So, Blaze stood and said "Winds, you and I need to hit the showers and wash up. Mike and Anastasia, would you round up some grub for Winds and I and the others if they are hungry. Maybe some broth for Blondie and Ripsaw." Then he looked at Dom and decided that it was fine if he stayed in the room. His focus was on his girls and Blondie would not want Dom to leave on his account.

Ripsaw understood what Blaze was doing and simply turned his head the other way. He could not leave but he could give Blondie as much privacy as he could. Blondie's dignity had taken severe blows being in captivity for three months.

Mason and Matt shared a look and Matt hurried from the room to get a bucket of warm water and some soap from Sister Maria. She said to find her when they were ready to clean him up.

Sister Maria returned with Matt ten minutes later. Matt set the two buckets on the floor. Sister Maria put the towels, cloths and several sheets on the chair next to the bed.

She smiled at the young man and said "My name is Sister Maria. I'm sure you would prefer a washing up from me to one from your buddies." Then she turned to the large one and said "If you will take one of the sheets and attach it to the hooks on the walls we can provide him with some privacy."

Mason nodded and smiled as he did what was asked. He strung the sheet across the room and it blocked two beds from the view of the rest of the room. He liked this nun.

Sister Maria turned to Matt and asked "Would you please help me get him to the other bed and then remake his bed with clean sheets?"

"Yes" Matt answered and then between the two of them they got Sam to the other bed. Matt then went to the bed Sam had been on previously and stripped it of the soiled and damp linen and remade it with fresh linens.

Sister Maria said "Relax, I've done this many times" as she kept her eyes on the young man's eyes as she undid his pants. Then she efficiently removed them and covered him in a light sheet to preserve his modesty then removed his boxers keeping the sheet covering him as she did it.

Sam found himself relaxing under the gentle ministration of the nun. She was right. It was less embarrassing getting bathed by her than it would have been by the guys.

Sister Maria was glad that the young man had been asleep when she first saw his chest. She had reacted badly and gasped when she saw the extensive scarring. This young man had been horribly hurt and not long ago based on the stage of the scarring. The last thing this young man would need to see would be her eyes opening in horror. So, she thanked the Lord for making sure she first saw him when he could not see her reaction.

She deftly washed, rinsed and dried the young man all while keeping his body discreetly covered with the sheet. When she was done, Sister Maria noticed that his face was less drawn into pain lines. It made her happy that she could give him a modicum of relief.

Mason set a bag with Blondie's clothes on the end of the bed and said "Here are his clean clothes." Mason noted the lines of pain were not so deep in Blondie's face and his liking of the nun increase tenfold. He said "When you are done, I will lift Blondie into the other bed so he does not need to use energy to walk."

Sister Maria looked up at the man Elsa had called the gentle giant. Elsa was so right. She smiled and nodded.

Mason turned around and joined Matt on the opposite side of the makeshift curtain. They shared a smile and stood by waiting for the nun to finish dressing Blondie.

Once his jeans were on, Sam opened his eyes. He quietly said with appreciation "Thanks."

Sister Maria smiled and then asked "Can you sit up so we can put your shirt on?"

Sam shook his head. The short walk from bed to bed had zapped him. Just lifting his hips as she pulled up his boxers and jeans had felt like he was lifting a ton. He answered "Probably better not to put it on. Patch is gonna make me drink more of that foul stuff soon. It would just get dirty."

She nodded and asked the big man to come move him to the other bed. While he was being moved, Sister Maria cleaned up the cloths and stripped the bed. She remade the bed as the green-eyed young man took the buckets of used water out of the room for her. Then Sister Maria headed out of the room too with the dirty linens.

Mason was settling Blondie down into the bed when Patch, Winds, Blaze, Mike and Anastasia returned.

Anastasia announced "I have broth for Sam and Ripsaw."

Patch looked at Blondie and said "I know you are probably starving Blondie but let's get the bentonite down first. Now that I have your urine I can run the test to see how much diquat is in your system. Then I can determine how much more bentonite you need to consume."

Sam asked "Can't we just wait until after the test?"

"I'm sorry but no. Too risky to stop treatment until I know how much you ingested. More will not harm you but less could" Patch stated then went to prepare the bentonite solution.

Mike set the tray with food for everyone down on the table.

Anastasia picked up the broth for Ripsaw and sat on the edge of his bed. She grinned and teased "Shall I feed you?"

Ripsaw chuckled a bit and waggled his brows suggestively as he answered "Sure. You want to give me a sponge bath too nurse?"

Anastasia laughed then spooned up some of the broth and responded "You're just gonna have to dream about that one."

Patch finished preparing the bentonite and then handed it to Matt "Let's go real slow this time and maybe we can stop the puking reaction."

Mason spread a towel over Blondie's lap just in case and then sat at the head of the bed and lifted Blondie up so he rested on his chest in a semi-sitting positon.

Sam closed his eyes as Matt brought the bottle close to his mouth. His body was already preparing to gag at the mere thought of downing any more of this solution. He took the first mouthful and swallowed. He grimaced at the taste.

"Good job. You want a chaser?" Matt asked as he held up the water cup.

Sam opened his eyes and nodded. He drank several mouthfuls of water and then sagged against Mason. His eyes closed again and he tried to keep the damned stuff down as he rested before the next mouthful of it.

Patch pulled up the file on how to test the urine for diquat concentration. He got the supplies out of his pack and took the items to a nightstand near one of the beds. Patch then carefully prepared a solution of sodium dithionite and sodium hydroxide then added the urine.

He then checked his watch and began the wait for the test to complete. The test was rather simple. He was looking for a change of color.

If there was no color change that was the best. It would mean almost certainly that Blondie would recover with no significant side effects. A light green color would indicate that the amount of poison was minimal and gave Blondie a pretty good chance to recover from the poisoning with no or minimal side effects. Not that it would be an easy recovery but light green or no change was what he was hoping for.

Patch was dreading that it might turn medium or dark green. If it changed to that, then Blondie's chance of survival from diquat poisoning dropped to almost nothing. His eyes continually flicked between his watch and the vial with the solution in it. It seemed to him that time stood still.

Sam gagged as the next mouthful was swallowed. He could not keep it down and he retched. His stomach muscles ached from all the puking he was doing.

Matt had the bowl ready to catch what came up. Which was basically the water Sam had just drunk and a bit of the bentonite. He gave Sam a sip of water to rinse his mouth and after he spit it out Matt wiped Sam's mouth.

Mason ran a cool damp cloth over Blondie's sweaty forehead and then put it at the base of his neck. Blondie sagged back onto his chest.

Sam leaned back on Mason and croaked out "I can't drink any more of that shit."

Blaze had only taken a few bites of his sandwich before Blondie started retching. He put it down and pulled a chair next to the bed. He looked at the kid. Blondie was really hurting.

Quietly but firmly Blaze said "We will get you through this. But you have to do everything Patch says you have to do. That includes getting this stuff down."

Sam's eyes opened half way and looked at Blaze "Hurts too much. Too tired."

Then a wave of intense pain ripped through his gut again and Sam curled up tightly. His normal moan changed to a small whimper. Through the haze of pain gripping him, Sam felt someone's hand on his hair and gently brushing through it.

Blaze reached out and stroked Blondie's head. He wished he could take the pain away. He glanced at Patch and said "Can't you give him more pain meds?"

Patch was watching the solution intently now and ignored Blaze even though he heard him. He wanted badly to dose Blondie higher. But until he knew the results of this test he could not.

The guys all looked at Patch when he did not answer. That was unlike him. They all saw him looking at a vial and checking his watch.

A slow grin spread on Patch. He checked his watch and then gave it ten more seconds. Patch picked up the vial and held it aloft for the guys to all see.

Patch stated "It is only very light green."

Winds asked "What does that mean?"

Setting down the vial and moving to his pack he said "It means I'm sending Blondie to la la land and he does not have to drink any more of the bentonite right now."

Sam opened his eyes as the wave of pain ebbed and looked up to see it was Blaze that was stroking his hair. Then he flicked his eyes to Patch and and gave him a look of gratitude; relief from pain was finally coming. His eyes flicked back to Blaze as Blaze's face loomed close to his and caught his eyes. Sam felt secure looking in those eyes.

Blaze leaned in close and said "Rest now son."

Sam only slightly nodded trusting that Blaze and the rest of the guys would watch over him while he was in oblivion.

Patch pushed a full dose of Blondie's special sedative and pain meds combination into the IV line.

A soft, quiet sigh came from Sam as the medication began to take effect. His eyes closed and his body began to relax as he was quickly pulled down into a drug induced sleep.

Mason and Matt looked at each other and smiled. Matt shook out his hand trying to reestablish the circulation in it from Sam gripping it so tightly while he was in pain.

Then Matt turned to Patch and asked "Does this mean Sam is going to survive?"

Patch nodded but then added "Yes, but it will still be painful as the toxin works its way through his body. It will take some time to do that."

Blaze asked "How much time and can we move him?"

Taking a moment to think about his answer, Patch finally responded "It will take another four or five days to get it out of his system. I think it best to keep him sedated for most of the time to reduce his pain. But he needs to eat, so I will have to lift him out of sedation several times a day. It would be best if we could wait until the worst of it over before we move him. Three days at minimum."

Then Patch looked at Ripsaw. His fever had increased in the past six hours. Patch added "But Ripsaw on the other hand needs to be moved as soon as possible. We need to get his leg x-rayed. We need to know what damage was done to the bone so that he can be treated properly. A hospital would be able to do the cultures needed to ensure the bone is not infected. If it is infected we could be looking at sepsis. So, we need to get him out and to a hospital now."

Winds finished his sandwich and said "Sounds like we need two exfil plans."

Blaze stood and raked his hands through his hair. Damn he did not like this. The unit would have to split up to ensure both Blondie and Ripsaw got the care they needed.

.

* * *

 _ **AN** : For those scratching your head about the significance of Panin eating with his left hand and Ismad's reference to it being unclean, here's the reason. In most Arab countries and/or countries influenced by Arab traditions, the left hand is considered 'unclean' and is not to play a part in social settings at all. The left hand is for bathroom duty only._

 _ **Live and learn.** I was trying to figure out what country to make Sattar King of for a future chapter. I decided it would be a fictitious country but modeled after the UAE, where some of the emirates are absolute monarchies (meaning the ruler has supreme authority that is not restricted by any written laws, legislature, or customs). As I did some research, my ignorance is showing in my previous chapters. In that part of the world, a King is most often referred to as Sheikh and sometimes Sultan. All the brothers would also be referred to as Sheikh too because it is an honorific title given to royal males. However, the first born can be referred to as Crown Prince._

 _I will assume that Panin is ignorant too … so, I kept his references to the royals as King and Prince to show his ignorance. I have update reference to Ismad as Crown Prince and the father as Sheikh when Panin is not the one talking or thinking. However, for readability and clarity, I will leave all the younger brothers referenced as Prince elsewhere. Sam and Mason will also refer to him as Prince because that is what Panin called him._


	45. News, Militsiya, Broth and Book & Plans

**News, Militsiya, Broth and Book & Plans**

* * *

 _ **Next Day – General Braddock's Office – Kandahar**_

"Enter" General Braddock stated and he closed the classified file on his desk as the door opened. He glanced at the clock and it was just 0905. He greeted his longtime friend, "Sutton, to what do I owe this pleasure? I wasn't expecting to meet with you until 1300."

Colonel Sutton closed the door behind him and strode over to the chair in front of William's desk and sat down not bothering to stand on ceremony.

William noticed the grave look on his friend's face "What is it Tom?"

Tom reported "We've been monitoring the news as you requested in Makhachkala. The police, that is the militsiya, issued arrest warrants for Maks and his large bodyguard yesterday in the very early morning. From the description of the bodyguard, it can only be Mason."

"What are the charges?" William asked.

"Murder of over six dozen guests at a gentleman's club. The militsiya have locked down the airport and sealed the border crossings. It is an all-out manhunt. They have even issued a shoot on sight authorization if either tries to run" Tom shared.

William slammed his fist on the desk "Dammit. How the hell are we gonna get them out?"

"They are dark. They will not be contacting us for help. You know that" Sutton said feeling the same frustration level but nowhere near the personal pain William was feeling. He tried to placate William and added "They are a good unit and they have Dom there too. They will get creative."

There was a knock on the door and the General called out gruffly "Enter."

Private Bransworth entered and closed the door behind him and then came to attention.

The General said "At ease Private. What is it that brings you to my office soldier?"

Bransworth went to parade rest and then shifted his gaze to the Colonel and reported "Sir, you asked to be kept informed on the Maks Gennadiyevich situation in Canada. I just got word that Maks was being transported from the immigration holding facility in Edmonton, Alberta to Ottawa for questioning by Interpol. While being transferred Maks bribed the cops in charge of transporting him and they released him. They tried to make it look like he escaped but one of the cops had his mic open and it was heard and recorded by the dispatcher. The cops are in custody but Maks is on the run somewhere in Alberta."

Sutton stated "Thank you Private. Keep that to yourself and monitor the situation for me. Report any major changes."

The General asked "Did the report say why Interpol was involved?"

Bransworth replied "Not specifically, but the investigator is from their human trafficking division."

William shook his head. Things just got messier. If the Russian, Panin Savelievich, got wind that Maks was in Canada, it would jeopardize Samuel.

The General asked "How was the news reported?"

Bransworth stated "The escape is being reported on nationwide news in Canada. The bribe part and transfer reason I found out by doing some digging. The escape should be hitting the entertainment media soon though … international playboy escapes from cops will make the headlines and sell the rag mags."

Sutton said "Dismissed. Keep me apprised."

Bransworth came to attention, saluted then left the room closing the door securely behind him. He was curious why the Colonel wanted him to monitor Maks. But if he had a need to know then the Colonel would tell him. He put that in the back of his mind and headed back to the Colonel's office. He had to get the latest report from Suhail Yusuf on section Y6. He was making some progress with that section's leaders.

Raking his hands through his hair William looked at Tom "This is not good. This severely complicates things for the unit."

Tom thought a moment then offered "Perhaps but perhaps not. If there is a warrant out for arrest for Maks in Makhachkala it leads me to believe the unit has rescued Dom's girls. Their exit must have been messy though. Savelievich is bound to finger Maks as the culprit since his is the only name Savelievich will know."

"When the Russian militsiya find out that the real Maks is in Canada they will think they have an impostor. They …"

William cut him off "Samuel will still be unable to get out unless Dom can scare up a passable passport and change Samuel's appearance. But Master Corporal Srònaich'O' Naoimhín will be easy to spot. His size and those facial scars make him easily identifiable. This is not good Tom. The unit will never leave a man behind. I just have no idea how they are going to get them all out."

Tom leaned back and his shoulders slumped a bit. William was right. Another thought that ran through his head but he did not voice out loud was that he wondered if any of the men were hurt. With over six-dozen people dead, it was unlikely the unit got out unscathed.

Colonel Sutton stood and squared himself away as he stated with confidence "We will just have to trust the unit. They are well trained. They will find a way."

William nodded "Yes, you are right. They are good and we need to trust them. They will get out, all of them. I'll see you at 1300."

Tom grinned "You will be happy. I sent Major Plouffe to the remote camp. He will be out of our hair for the unit resourcing meeting."

"That's the first good news I've had in days" William grinned and opened the file he was reviewing before Tom came in.

Colonel Sutton turned and headed out of the room. He was glad he had could make Will smile at least a little bit.

* * *

 _ **Makhachkala Militsiya Office**_

Lieutenant Chudov Tikhonovich of the Makhachkala Militsiya was seething. Panin had skipped out of the country before paying him. Panin had always been reliable in the past. Chudov had made good money covering up Panin's criminal acts. As a lieutenant, Chudov was in a good position to do that.

He was mid-level in the chain of command and had the ability to direct officers as he saw fit. Chudov had expected payment today. But he had learned from his officers at the airport that Panin had left the country on a private jet less than an hour after contacting him.

Keeping the officers from responding immediately to the club when the explosions were reported, so Panin could hide his unsavory affairs, the children, had been simple enough. However, the carnage they found upon arriving was so much more than he expected. Over six dozen dead. Not one of Panin's guards were left alive.

In the kitchen they found two dead of knife wounds and three with gunshot wounds. Outside in the back alley they found one dead with a gunshot wound to the head but he appeared to have fallen off the roof too. On the rooftop there were four others dead that looked like they had been taken out by a sniper.

On the main floor in the club area they found three dead by the elevators with gunshot wounds. They found two dead men in a stairwell with their throats slit. Fourteen were dead in a hallway on the second floor due to gunshots or snapped necks. The office on the second floor contained six dead men with snapped necks or slit throats.

Two were found dead in a room on the third floor with slit throats. The fourth floor held sixteen dead men. All of them had been lined up against a wall and shot execution style in the back of the head. Six men were found lined up and killed execution style in the underground garage too.

Five more were found shot like that on the fifth floor but those men also had other wounds in the arms, legs and torsos. There were signs of an intense gunfight on the fifth floor. In addition to the executed men, there were ten other dead men in the foyer and down the hall of the fifth floor with various gunshot wounds.

In one room on the fifth floor there were five dead men. That room and another room had shattered mirrors that opened up into Panin's auction area.

Chudov was having a hard time believing that an international playboy like Maks Gennadiyevich and one bodyguard could be responsible for that level of carnage. The people the officers interviewed claimed not to have even seen Maks in the club. Maks was readily identifiable. So either they were lying or Panin was.

Lieutenant Tikhonovich was pretty damned sure it was Panin. And Panin had skipped out without paying him. Panin would be a dead man if he showed his face in this town again.

However, Maks was in the country. Immigration records showed that and he had entered the country. Investigations revealed that Maks been seen in several clubs one night. Maks had also rented several rooms at a hotel here. It had taken his officers some time to locate which hotel. Chudov should have known it would be the most expensive one. He was now waiting for the report from the officers sent to search the rooms.

His officers had also found two vans completely burned out yesterday morning. There was no way to trace them. The fire had exploded the gas tanks and there were pieces scattered all over that empty field. The only thing that linked them in any way to Panin was a book of matches with the Cherry Club logo on it.

It was looking more like Panin was leaving Makhachkala and did not want to leave any trace of himself behind. He was surprised Panin did not torch his club.

There was a knock on his door and Chudov told the officer to enter.

Chudov listened to the officer as he reported on what they found at the hotel. There was no sign of Maks or the people that traveled with him. However, they found the Yurievich brothers dead in another room. It looked like a drug fueled orgy and might have involved children based on the items found. The time of death was estimated to be about the same time as what happened in the Cherry Club.

The Yurievich brothers were well known for their criminal activity. They had been tied loosely to Panin's slavery acquisitions as well as the Jackals, a drug and arms dealing gang headed by Radoslav Yegorovich. Chudov's anger reached a boiling point but then he thought of a way to cover his own ass.

Speaking in Russian, Lieutenant Chudov ordered "Find out how they died. I think we may have a full-scale gang war brewing. Several of those guards were killed execution style. It is also quite possible that Maks Gennadiyevich might have been abducted or killed by either the Jackals or Savelievich and one or both of them are trying to shift blame to Gennadiyevich in order to throw us off and facilitate their own getaway."

* * *

 _ **Abbey on the Outskirts of Makhachkala – Unit's Room**_

Blaze looked around the room. The guys looked more rested today. He had made a command decision that everyone was to get some sleep yesterday. They had spent some time trying to figure out an exfil solution but they had all been too tired to think straight or creativity.

After lunch yesterday, Patch had declared that Ripsaw's fever was reducing nicely. It meant that the antibiotics he was being given were working. So they could afford a one day delay. Neither he or Patch wanted to delay getting Ripsaw to a hospital any more than that. But Patch had agreed that all of them needed sleep.

So, they had slept in shifts so that two were always awake to watch their six and to care for Blondie, Ripsaw and Dom's girls. Matt and Anastasia had taken the last shift and Blaze had just told them to get some rest. Both had laid down a few moments ago and were just now trying to go to sleep.

Blaze stood and said "Mason and Patch, kept an eye on things in here. Winds, Mike, Dom let's go find someplace to discuss exfil plans. I don't want to talk in here and disturb Matt and Anastasia."

The five guys all nodded and then Blaze, Winds, Dom and Mike headed out of the room.

Sam looked up at Mason and said weakly "Can I have some of that broth?"

Mason grinned. Blondie was doing a little better right now. Mason looked to Patch and asked "Can Blondie have a bit?"

Patch finished taking Ripsaw's vitals and liked that the fever was down even more. The worry about infection in the bone was lessening. But Ripsaw still needed treatment he could not give him here.

He glanced over at Blondie and said "Only a very small bit at a time. See if he can keep it down this time."

Mason grabbed a few pillows off the other beds and then pulled Blondie up a bit and stuffed them behind him. He asked "How's that?"

Just sitting up, even though he didn't do anything to help, took his strength. But Sam said "Okay."

Reaching out for a towel, Mason covered Blondie's chest and lap. Then he picked up the cup of broth and asked "Spoon or sip?"

"Sip, easier" Sam answered. Yeah easier and less like he needed to be treated like a baby, Sam thought. It was bad enough that he could not do anything for himself at the moment. He did not want to compound his feeling of inadequacy by being spoon fed.

Mason put the cup to Blondie's lips and lifted it just enough so Blondie could take a sip. Then he set the cup down and picked up a bowl and put it under Blondie's chin. The last four times Blondie tried to drink broth it came back up within minutes. Blondie's stomach and GI tract was a mess right now.

Sam looked at the bowl and hoped the broth stayed down this time. He had only had to have the bentonite once today. Patch let him dwell in an unconscious state most of yesterday.

This morning Patch had adjusted his meds so that he was getting a strong dose of pain meds but not enough to completely knock him out. It cut the pain but did not make it completely disappear. But it was nothing like it had been before Patch determined he had only gotten a small amount of the poison. Sam had no desire to ever know what the hell he would have been in if the dose had been larger.

He flicked his eyes to Mason and he looked so damned worried. Sam had to break Mason out of that mood so he blinked his eyes balefully and asked in a pitiful voice "Please Sir, I want some more."

Mason broke into a grin and chuckled "Damn Blondie, that's the last time I read to you. I thought you were asleep."

Sam gave Mason a small smile and said "I like Oliver Twist."

Lifting the cup to Blondie's lips again and making sure it was just a small sip he responded "Well that's good. It was the only book that Sister Maria had in English."

Sam swallowed. This was taking all his effort. He knew he had to eat to keep up his strength, such as it was, even if it meant the possibility of puking again.

Patch looked at Ripsaw and said "You feel up for more than just broth?"

Ripsaw glanced at Blondie and felt a little bad about saying this but he nodded and replied "Yeah. A sandwich or something more substantial would be nice."

Patting Ripsaw's arm, Patch quietly remarked "Blondie understands that his system is not ready for anything else yet. You should not feel bad about eating. You need to keep up your strength too."

Nodding Ripsaw said "Should not but I do. I hope he keeps it down this time."

"Me too. I'll be back in a bit" then he stood and said "Mason I'll be back in a few minutes. Gotta get something for Ripsaw."

"Got them covered" Mason responded as he gave Blondie another small sip.

When Patch was gone, Sam glanced around the room and then whispered "I gotta go."

Mason set the broth down and without another word picked up the urinal.

Sam shook his head. Mason understood without words and simply shook Matt awake then said "Keep an eye on Ripsaw and the girls." Then he unhooked the IV from the nail and put it into Blondie's lap and then scooped him up. He called out to Ripsaw "We'll be back in a minute or so. Matt is awake if you need anything buddy."

Matt rubbed his eyes and sat up. He grinned at Mason's back as he carried Blondie to the bathroom. It was good to see that Sam was trusting the guys so much more. He had seen a shift in the way Sam looked at Blaze yesterday. That same look came into Sam's eyes when he looked at Mason and Patch. He expected soon that look would extend to Winds and Ripsaw too.

Ten minutes later Mason returned with Blondie in his arms. Mason looked to Matt and said quietly "Arrange his pillows for me. Just that little bit wiped him out completely. But at least he kept the broth down this time."

Matt arranged the pillows and then held the IV bag as Mason laid a sleeping Sam on the bed. He hung the bag from the nail again. Then Matt crawled back into bed and crashed too. He was snoring in very short order.

Mason covered Blondie with a blanket and then sat down on his bed and picked up the book Sister Maria brought him. He started reading Oliver Twist silently.

Sam curled up as a surge of pain gripped him again. A large hand took his and Sam squeezed with all his might, which wasn't much, to anchor himself as the burning pain hit hard again. The pain did not ebb down like normal and stayed at a higher intensity. He needed Patch to give him more meds. But Patch was not here right now. So, Sam ground out "Distract me."

His mind racing how he could distract Blondie, Mason's eyes landed on the book. He reached across to his bed and grabbed it with his free hand then opened it. Mason began reading out loud. Patch should be back any moment now. Blondie clearly needed more pain meds.

Sam concentrated on the sound of Mason's bass voice. He narrowed his focus to just that sound trying to make the rest of his agony filled world disappear. The sound was comforting as his gut undulated with pain.

Ripsaw watched for several minutes as Mason read to Blondie. It was hard to see Blondie like that. Ripsaw wished there was something he could do to stop Blondie's pain.

Patch entered with a tray and headed straight for Ripsaw. He heard Mason reading aloud again to Blondie. He thought for a moment that was such a big brother thing to do. Mason's and Blondie's connection was growing more like Matt's and Sam's connection every day. It probably had to do with how Mason was able to care for Blondie without Blondie feeling self-conscious or too embarrassed.

Ripsaw's voice was urgent as Patch approached him "Blondie's in pain. He needs more meds."

Quickly putting the tray in Ripsaw's lap, Patch rushed over to his pack and asked "Level?"

Sam ground out "Nine. Not stopping like before."

Mason said "I took him to the bathroom while you were gone."

Patch pushed the meds with sedatives added into Blondie's IV. Both Patch and Mason watched Blondie relax and then drift off. When he was out, Patch asked Mason to describe Blondie's bowel movement. Mason did so and Patch sat back. He would have to watch that closely too. Too much bentonite could cause constipation. Blondie did not need any more GI issues to deal with.

As Patch made his notes, Mason resettled Blondie in the bed, wiped his sweaty brow and then adjusted his covers. Then Mason picked up the book again and settled onto the floor next to Blondie's bed not wanting to be far from him if he needed him. As he began reading, Mason thought that Oliver Twist would be one book he would never forget.

Mason grinned as he recalled that, even as sick as Blondie was, Blondie had gone out of his way to make him smile and try to reduce his worry. He reached out a large hand and gently placed it on Blondie's shoulder. Blondie was special.

Blondie was the little brother Mason had always wanted. He would do all in his power to keep Blondie safe no matter what. Oh, and he would continue worry even if Blondie made him smile, that's what older brothers did.

* * *

 _ **Abbey on the Outskirts of Makhachkala – Kitchen**_

Dom finished sketching out his plan. Then he took a sip of coffee. He waited for the inevitable questions and looked forward to their help in refining it.

Winds looked at Dom skeptically and said "But Anastasia, Ripsaw, Mike and I entered the country with Blondie as Maks. Don't you think they would have looked at the security tapes for when Maks entered the country. And how do you think we are going to get Ripsaw on that plane without raising suspicion?"

Blaze said "You heard Patch when he came in to get Ripsaw some food. It would be easy enough for him to splint Ripsaw's leg and put a cast on it. As far as security would be concerned, Ripsaw broke his leg." Then he said "But the key part is, Mike can you fly a sea plane?"

Mike answered "No the key part is how the hell are we going to get Mason and Sam to the docks and commandeer a yacht without being caught. Mason is like a beacon. Sam is too ill to even walk. And finding a boat that would work? I'm sure the militsiya is crawling over the docks."

Winds asked "So can you fly a sea plane?"

Rolling his eyes Mike said "If it has wings I can fly it. The boat is the issue."

Dom was scratching his head as he mentally ran through his contacts. He could not think of any that could assist in getting a boat, a sea plane yes, a boat no. Stealing one looked to be their only option. But Mike was right, doing that would be risky and he didn't like it.

Blaze offered "Matt and I could go recon the docks tomorrow and see if there is an easy mark."

"That still leaves us with how to get Mason and Blondie onto the boat" Winds stated.

The sound of a male voice clearing his throat had each of the men turning and looking up defensively. There should only be women and kids here.

Andro cleared his throat and when all the men turned their glares on him he stepped back a few paces at the intensity of them. He tentatively said "Hi. I'm Andro. Sorry to disturb you I was just coming to get Elsa some milk."

Mike noticed the man had blue eyes and the same coppery blondie hair coloring as he did. That was why Elsa was touching his hair. He smiled and said "You must be Elsa's father."

"Yes I am. My daughter has spun me quite a harrowing tale of her rescue. Thank you all" Andro said as he headed for the fridge to get the milk.

Blaze stated "We were never here. Do you understand that? It could be very bad for the nuns if it ever came out we sought refuge here."

Andro stopped and turned back to the men and said "I understand perfectly. I used to live here. Not here here, but in Makhachkala. I was born and raised here, I immigrated to Canada about nine years ago. But I still remember how things work around here. The fact that you saved Elsa and returned my wife's sister to us has sealed my lips forever. We are forever in your debt."

"There is no debt to repay" Blaze stated.

Andro walked to the table and looked at each man seriously for several seconds "Yes there is. And I think I can begin to repay it. I was not trying to eavesdrop but I heard you need a boat. I can help with that. I have a boat you can use."

Blaze, Dom and Mike all shook their heads and Dom spoke what each of them were feeling "No. We will not put you or your family in jeopardy."

Winds however asked "What kind of boat?"

Andro stated "I rented a yacht for my family to stay on during our visit. We were only here, at the Abbey, seeking the help of the nuns when my wife collapsed when Elsa was taken. The nuns helped me quite a bit when my parents died so I knew they would be more help to Tatiana than a hospital."

"Sorry I digressed. Anyways, we have a rather large yacht rented for another month. It has six staterooms. We had planned to go deep sea fishing for several weeks. So, the yacht is fully stocked and ready" Andro stated.

Mike grinned as a thought from his past came to him. He had rented many, many yachts in his playboy days. He never bothered with doing anything and hired help to take care of all the mundane tasks like cooking, and piloting the boat. Mike asserted "This deep-sea fishing trip would require you to hire some help so your family can just relax and enjoy fishing."

Andro nodded "Yes I was planning on do that. Give Tatiana a break from all the cooking and so we could focus on spending time with the kids."

Turning to Dom, Mike said "I still like the idea of dressing Mason in a habit, but we could dress him as a grizzled fisherman. He would not stick out as much at the dock with all the large dock workers."

Then turning to Blaze he said "As for Sam we could cut and dye his hair the same color as Andro's and then douse him in alcohol. He could be a drunk family member."

Blaze nodded "That could work."

Dom looked at Andro and said "No. It is too risky for Andro and his family." He scrubbed his head a moment then said "I have a better idea. We use your yacht but you and your family fly to France with me and my girls."

Andro shook his head "No. I will not leave Nadya here. We have no paperwork for her. I was going to go to the Canadian Embassy and see if they could help."

Anastasia came into the kitchen to get some warm milk since she was having a hard time sleeping. She was just too upset that Sam was in so much pain and she could not help him other than wiping the sweat from his brow and speaking soft words to him.

What Sam had done was truly amazing. Because of him all the children were safe. His plan to be cocky and arrogant had saved him from blackening his already wounded soul by simulating a disgusting act with any of the children but nearly cost him his life. Mike was right that Panin was underhanded and dangerous. Mike had warned them that Panin would not let the slight go and that even if Sam succeed the slight would not go unpunished.

But now Anastasia could see why all the unit were so protective of him. Men like Sam only came along once in a millennium. Kind and beautiful of heart but a solid and capable warrior too. Sam was willing to risk his life to save children he did not even know.

Men like Sam needed guardians to protect him while he helped others. She was glad Sam had the unit guys. They were his guardians on earth. By their actions, Anastasia knew that Sam would always be safeguarded in their care. Protection was a two-way street with this unit.

Anastasia overheard the Dom's and Andro's statements when she entered the kitchen silently. She stepped to the table and offered "Nadya could pass for me if we got her some blue contacts and modified my fake passport picture. Dom, you could help them with the legalities once they are in France."

Dom nodded "It would actually be much easier to get help in France to sort out Nadya's issues than here. Less corruption." He looked at Andro and said "Your family can stay with mine while you are in France."

Mike looked at Anastasia and said "Then you could go on the boat with the rest of the guys."

Blaze nodded "I like it."

Winds chimed in "Sounds like a plan. So, when do we go?"

Dom said "I can get the passport modified by tomorrow. My girls, Andro and his family, Winds, Ripsaw and I will head out tomorrow. We drop Winds and Ripsaw off and then head to France. I will make arrangements for the sea plane for two days from now based on what Patch said about Sam traveling. Mike and Blaze can go to the airport and get the plane. Anastasia, Patch, Mason, Matt and Sam can go to the yacht. We just need to coordinate a rendezvous point in the Caspian Sea. You can transfer to the sea plane and sink the yacht so there is no trace. Then Mike flies you to your destination."

Mike nodded and then said "Then I fly the sea plane back here. You meet me and fly me back to my destination then back to France."

Dom nodded.

"But what about the boat rental company? Shouldn't we return the boat instead of sinking it?" Andro asked.

Dom inclined his head and then said "Don't worry about it. They will be reimbursed appropriately. But we cannot chance anyone linking these men to be being here so the boat has to be sunk."

Blaze added "Reimburse the car rental agency for the vans too. We destroyed them for the same reason."

"Done" Dom remarked. He would divert some of Panin's monies to cover the cost of the vans and boat. He did not like destroying property and those honest businesses although insured should not be out any monies on his account. It was only right that Panin's funds cover those costs.

Andro smiled "All this cloak and dagger. I feel a bit like James Bond."

Anastasia winked at Dom. Andro had no idea how cloak and dagger real covert ops were. This one was child's play in comparison. Then she said to Andro "I will come with you and explain some things to your family to keep everyone safe and help you get Nadya prepared for the flight."

Andro went to get Elsa's milk and then he and Anastasia headed out of the kitchen.

Blaze stood and said "I'll go inform the rest of the guys of our plan. Dom I assume you have things to do to prepare."

Dom nodded and said "Mind if I take Mike with me?"

Blaze looked at Mike. Mike just nodded. Blaze stated "Yeah, probably better if no one is alone outside this Abbey."

Winds stood too and then headed out with Blaze to their room. Winds said "Let me tease Mason and tell him he is dressing as a nun."

Blaze chuckled and then said "Your life buddy. Your life."

Winds grinned.

.

* * *

 _ **AN:** Trivia: Until 2011, the police force in Russia were called Militsiya. The Militsiya frequently took bribes and in the 1990's there were numerous revelations of participation by militsiya personnel in murders, prostitution rings, information peddling and tolerance of criminal acts which created a general public perception that all militsioners (police officers) were at least taking bribes. Bribery of officers to avoid penalty for traffic violations and petty crimes were routine and expected occurrence, as well as tortures and abusing of suspects in the custody._


	46. We Go Now!, Fish Bait, Blood Ran Cold,

**We Go Now!, Fish Bait, Blood Ran Cold, Fishing Trip Report & Steam Room**

* * *

 _ **Next Day – Makhachkala Airport**_

Winds walked close to Ripsaw as they made their way through the airport. Ripsaw was using a pair of crutches to walk and it was slow going. If the shit hit the fan it was his job to get Ripsaw to safety given he could not run.

The group leaving today on the Learjet had decided to split up into three groups and go through customs at different times to avoid drawing attention to Dom and his girls and the Tenorio family. It was a needed precaution since Winds and Ripsaw might be recognized because they had entered the country at the same time as Blondie. They might be considered guilty by association and held for questioning even though no arrest warrants were out in their fake identities names.

Once Winds and Ripsaw made it through customs, they would meet Dom at the embarkation gate reserved for private flights. Then the three would join the rest who would already be in the Learjet waiting for them. If he and Ripsaw got caught by the militsiya, then Dom would leave with his girls and the Tenorio family and notify Blaze.

As they waited in the line at customs Winds thought back on the preparation and plans for getting the girls and the Tenorio's out safely.

Dom had left an hour before with his girls and Nadya. He would go first and ensure the jet was ready to take off at a moments notice.

Winds grinned as he recalled how Anastasia and Tatiana had transformed Nadya. She looked like a sweet innocent young woman now. Dom and Mike had located contacts for her and her eyes were a stunning shade of aqua blue. She really was quite a lovely looking young woman with all the garish makeup off her and dressed appropriately.

Nadya was wearing some of her sister's clothes, a soft green sweater and a pair of comfortable, faded jeans. It was good they were of the same size. Anastasia had shared with the guys that Nadya had come to tears looking at herself in the mirror fully dressed in appropriate clothing for the first time in a decade.

Then Anastasia had kissed Ripsaw on the cheek and told him he had done good in making sure they brought Nadya with them. Ripsaw had actually blushed. Winds couldn't remember a time that had ever happened before. But Anastasia was right. Ripsaw had done good in many ways. He had gotten to Blondie and Mason who would not have made it out without his intervention.

Before they left the Abbey, Nadya had been quite frightened that she would say something wrong. Winds had seen Tatiana and Anastasia comfort Nadya and reassure her that Dom was going to do all the talking. However, her cover if asked by customs, was that she was the girl's au pair. Nadya carried Anna-Marie and Dom carried Nicolette because she was a bit bigger than Anna-Marie.

Dom had acquired new age appropriate clothing for his girls too. They were fully clothed now. Dom had found outfits that he knew his girls would feel comfortable in. Anna-Marie was into sparkles, anything purple or blue and skirts. Whereas Nicolette was maturing and enjoyed jeans, soft sweaters in muted colors and boots. Jeanette had allowed Nicolette to start wearing shoes with a low high heel now that she was a teenager.

So, Anna-Marie was now dressed in purple leggings with a soft blue cotton skirt over them that went to just above her knees and a purple long-sleeved cotton shirt with a sparkly heart on the front. Dom had gotten her a cute pair of purple and blue tennis shoes with sparkly purple laces and a blue zip up hoodie. Nicolette was now wearing a soft pair of black jeans, a light gray angora sweater over a dark gray t-shirt and black ankle boots with a low heel.

Dom had even bought Nicolette an appropriate trainer bra and the necessary underclothes for both girls. Anastasia had done their hair for them when Dom explained how his wife normally did their hair. Each girl had a delicate thin waterfall French braid around the crown of their heads and the rest of their hair was left long.

When Dom and Anastasia had finished, the girls looked so different. The girls were lovely. They watched Dom tear up as he knelt down and hugged his little girls and vowed again that no one would ever hurt them again.

The group had discussed for a long time on how to explain why the girls were sedated. None of them were coming up with a good cover story. It was Blondie who suggest that the girls had become ill due to food poisoning while on their vacation. The girls were violently sick to their stomachs for several days. The doctor felt it was better to sedated them for their trip home so they would not become sick on the flight and started IVs because the girls were dehydrated from being so sick.

Everyone had stared at Blondie. It was a damned good cover story. Simple too.

Blondie had then promptly violently expelled the little broth he had managed to drink only moments before. They all realized how Blondie had come up with the cover story and were a bit ashamed it had not occurred to any of them.

Andro and his family left a half hour after Dom. Winds hoped they had no problems getting through customs. If asked about Elsa's return, Andro would simply state that a good Samaritan had found her wandering alone on the beach. Once the good Samaritan found someone that understood English, he had found them and returned Elsa to them. That was what Andro had also called and reported to the militsiya.

Winds glanced at Ripsaw and saw the beads of sweat on his forehead and asked quietly "How you holding up buddy?"

Ripsaw answered "Fine."

Winds chuckled "Fine or _fine_?"

Ripsaw grinned "Normal fine not Blondie fine."

They approached the customs desk and Winds handed over both their passports. Each held their breath as the customs agent looked over their passports thoroughly. The militsiya officer standing next to him scrutinized them carefully.

The customs agent said "Ты пораниться здесь?"  
(Did you injure yourself here?)

Ripsaw answered "Araris rusuli, k'art'uli?"  
(No Russian, Georgian?)

Nodding the customs agent repeated "Khom ar daazaralebs t'avs ak'?"  
(Did you injure yourself here?)

Ripsaw answered in Georgian and gave a simple and quick explanation that he fell down some stairs. The customs agent then stamped their passports and waved them on. As they walked through the officer followed their path with his eyes all the way to the private jet area.

They kept moving at a sedate pace even though both were feeling antsy under the continued scrutiny of the officer. When the door to the private jet area closed, both breathed a small sigh of relief. They saw Dom waiting for them at the gate and hurried over.

Winds said in a hushed voice "We need to leave now. One officer was eyeing us quite a lot."

The door to the private jet area opened and Dom saw an officer enter. "We go now!" as he slung one of Ripsaw's arms over his shoulder and Winds did the same with the other and grabbed both crutches.

They were out the gate door and up the ramp of the plane in no time flat.

Winds was closing the door as Dom was getting the plane moving.

Ripsaw hopped to a seat and settled into it as he looked out the window. He saw the officer put the radio to his mouth. Ripsaw called out "Dom get us in the air now. The officer is radioing someone."

Dom called out "Strap in boys. I'm not waiting for clearance."

Ripsaw buckled his seatbelt as Winds plopped down next to him and grinned.

Winds buckled in and said "Once we are airborne I'll make you comfortable buddy. Patch gave me pain meds for you."

"That's good because it hurts like hell right about now" Ripsaw admitted with a grimace.

That mad dash to the airplane had been hell on his leg even with assistance. Ripsaw just hoped now that they were no shot down out of the sky for taking off without clearance. He watched the runway speed by outside and and gripped the arms of the chair as the jet took to the air.

* * *

 _ **Abbey on the Outskirts of Makhachkala – Unit's Room**_

Matt sat on his bed with his knees pulled close and lightly banging his head on the wall behind him. He was glad Sam had been out yesterday when Blaze told them the exfil plans. A boat. A god damned boat. Out in the middle of the friggin Caspian Sea.

He was not too fond of deep water himself anymore but Sam was terrified of it. Having drowned gave Sam a right to be afraid. That hazing, gone so terribly wrong, years ago was the reason Sam was terrified of deep water.

God dammit! How the hell was he gonna help Sam?

Matt was able to tell Sam the plans when the rest of the guys were out the room and Ripsaw was sleeping last night when Sam woke up. Sam had started to panic and hyperventilate when he found out. He had to help Sam get his breathing under control, counting out the sniper breathing pattern. Once his breathing was under control Sam had looked at him with haunted eyes.

He had promised Sam to find a way to help him through this without revealing his fear to the rest of the guys. Sam's ego had taken so many blows in the last seven months. Matt didn't want Sam to have to reveal what Sam felt was another weakness to the guys.

Matt knew the guys would not see it as a weakness and they would try to help. But Sam saw it as a weakness and that was what mattered. But that left him with trying to figure out how to help Sam.

The drunk relative thing they had come up with still required Sam to be conscious. Being conscious and anywhere near deep water would cause Sam to panic. Matt needed another option.

Glancing at Sam, who was thankfully sleeping at the moment, his heart broke. Sam was still not able to keep much down. Nearly everything he took in came back up. Sam kept trying, boy did he try. They all saw the effort he was putting forth to try and keep the broth down and to be in good spirits too, even though he was in so much pain when he was awake.

Patch entered the room and looked at Matt. Matt had been really quiet ever since Blaze explained the exfil plan. Part of him wondered if Matt had a fear of water like he had a fear of flying. Patch went and sat down on Matt's bed and asked "What the problem Matt? I'd like to help if I can."

Matt looked at Patch for a moment before he answered "I'm just worried about Sam."

Patch responded "We all are. But he will make it. So far so good on the renal output. I do not think his kidneys were damaged by the toxin."

Matt rubbed his hands over his face quickly several times grappling with how to help Sam and then blurted out "I don't think Sam should be conscious on the boat."

"Why?" Patch asked slightly confused by the jump in topic.

Why indeed? Matt could not reveal Sam's fear. His mind struggled to come up with a solid reason.

Then Matt found inspiration "He's been so sick. He cannot keep anything down. Last time Sam and I went boating he got a bit sick. It might have been bad fish. But I don't want that memory to surface and make him sick again."

Plausible? Matt watched Patch carefully to see how his explanation was taken.

Patch sighed and said "You know I was thinking that the boat might make Blondie seasick in his condition. His stomach is a mess and that is the last thing he needs right now. I think you are right. It would be better to sedate him. But we need to find a way to get him on the yacht unseen then. Taking an unconscious man onto a boat would be noticed."

Matt nodded "Yeah it would."

Mason, Blaze and Anastasia entered the room and Patch turned to Blaze "We need to get Blondie onto the boat while he is sedated."

"Why?" Blaze asked as he sat on the bed across from them.

"I don't want to risk the motion of the boat making him seasick. He's done enough puking to last a life-time" Patch stated.

Mason sat down to think about what Patch said as he scratched his scruffy jaw. It was a good thing he had not shaved in several days. It would help in his disguise as a grizzly fisherman as Mike had put it. He could sling Blondie over a shoulder and carry him and still be in character of a fisherman.

But that would not be too pleasant for Blondie. Mason did not want to cause any more harm or pain to Blondie. He'd had enough of it already and Mason only wanted to be a source of laughter and good things for Blondie, not more pain.

As he tried to come up with another solution his mind wandered a bit at the thought of more laughter for Blondie.

Mason recalled how Winds had teased him and said that they had decided that his exfil would be dressed as a nun. Winds was so serious that Winds had him believing it for a long time. He had grumbled and carried on about how he was not going to dress as a woman. He'd rather shoot his way out. It wasn't until Mike and Dom returned to the room and spilled the beans that Winds broke out laughing.

Winds was now supporting a bruise or two because Mason had tackled him to the ground hard. They wrestled on the floor like two overgrown kids while Winds chortled and said that Mike and Dom should have been there to see Mason's face when he was told he would have to dress as a nun.

All the guys got a kick out of it. Even Blondie later in the night when he finally woke up from sedation. Truth be told, it was worth all the teasing and ribbing the guys gave him to see Blondie smile and laugh a bit last night. Also, he was relieved to find out it was a joke. Mason had no desire whatsoever to dress up like a nun.

Anastasia sat down on the edge of Sam's bed and gently ran her hand through his hair as the guys discussed the need to sedate Sam. She knew this gave him comfort and did it even though he was sleeping. Sam always gave her a soft smile if he woke while she was doing this.

As her hand glided through his golden blonde locks she though it would be sad to see this shorn off. She kind of liked it longer even though Sam hated it.

This morning when Sam was told they would need to cut and dye his hair for his role of a drunk family member, Sam had been all for cutting his hair. He was not too keen on dying it though. Sam would be happy to know that they had not found the right color dye so Blaze had decided Sam could remain golden blonde.

Patch was happy about that because he had not wanted to expose Sam to any other chemicals until the toxin was completely out of his system. Patch had a good point. But Anastasia was still worried that without changing his appearance more he might be recognized. His blonde hair, even shorter and his good looks tended to draw attention to him.

Blaze considered what Patch said for a long moment. His mind was trying to figure out a solution. He was coming up blank and replied "I agree that sedating would be good but it has to be light sedation. We have to transfer him from the boat to the seaplane and the weather forecast is calling for rough seas."

"I don't want Blondie so sedated he is unaware, at least for the point that we transfer. If anything went wrong he could end up in the sea and drown. That is not something I will allow to happen so he needs to be aware enough to stay float if he falls in. But if sedated, how do we get him on the boat? The drunk relative thing won't work."

Mike suggested "He could just be passed out."

Anastasia reminded them "We could not find the right color hair dye. I can cut his hair short but I still feel that is not enough of a change to keep Sam safe from the militsiya that will be patrolling the docks. I think we need to get him on unseen. Passed out and being carried onto the boat would attract too much attention to him. Attention we do not want."

Mike looked at Mason and an idea started to form. He smiled and said "Fish bait."

The others looked at him confused at the obscure comment.

Matt asked "Fish bait?"

Mike laughed and said "I remember this one time I went deep-sea fishing for swordfish. There was this big, grizzly looking fisherman. He was in charge of making sure all the clients on the charter boat had the gear needed to do the fishing. He brought all the tackle and such and the fish bait. He carried on this long, huge locker type box filled with chunks of fish bait."

Mason liked the idea of not having to sling Blondie over his shoulder. This was much better. He chuckled "So we get a box and label it fish bait and put Blondie in it and I carry it onto the yacht?"

Mike nodded as his grin got bigger "It helps with your cover as a fisherman too. No one will want to get close to a big guy carrying fish bait."

Matt thought about the options. Blaze was right about Sam being completely out of it. He would not lose Sam to drowning a second time. The light sedation could work like a Valium and reduce Sam's panic to a manageable level. Any shaking or other symptoms he and Sam could blame on the effects of the poison in his system. Sam would not need to divulge his fear of deep water.

He said "I like it. Sam can blissfully sleep until we have wake him to transfer into the plane."

Patch nodded "That would work."

Blaze stood and said "We don't have to worry about messing with his hair then either."

Anastasia shook her head and said "No, I will still cut it. Sam looked happy at the idea of getting rid of the long hair. I think he associates it with Maks and he is so ready to distance himself from that disgusting man."

Nodding in agreement Blaze stated "Mike come with me, we need to go find a box that will fit Blondie and get it set up. Guys, help Anastasia with getting Blondie's hair cut while he is out. It will be good for him to wake with out it if what Anastasia said is the case. It will be something nice for him."

Mason, Patch and Matt all nodded. Blaze and Mike headed out and Anastasia went to go get the clippers from Sister Maria.

* * *

 _ **Makhachkala Militsiya Office**_

Chudov Tikhonovich got off the phone with the officer in charge at the airport. Two of the men that had entered the country at the same time as Maks Gennadiyevich had been seen leaving. An officer had recognized them from the airport video surveillance and followed them out via the private jet lounge.

He was glad the officer in charge had not given the order to delay the plane. Because this was shaping up to be gang related. The forensic evidence in the hotel room pointed to several high-level members of the Jackals. In fact, there were even prints of Radoslav Yegorovich.

Panin must have done something to piss off the Jackals. That gang was ruthless, even more so than Panin. Unfortunately, Yegorovich must have been tipped off that they were looking for him now. Yegorovich must have his own corrupt officer on the force somewhere. Yegorovich had flown the coop and left the country already. He must have bribed the officers at the airport because no one stopped him when he boarded a flight to Serbia.

Chudov leaned back in his chair and thought the best thing he could do was to try and sweep this under the rug as much as he could. If he did not, then his involvement with Panin might be found out.

He was thinking how he might spin it so make Maks the fall guy for all of this when his door was flung open.

Chudov immediately came to attention based on the uniform alone. The Colonel was from the National Central Bureau of Interpol. He did not know the name of the man in front of him but the rank was higher than his and you did not mess around with Interpol. Chudov said "Полковник."  
(Colonel)

Colonel Kirillovich of National Central Bureau of Interpol in Moscow strode into the room and stated "Лейтенант Тихонович, пожалуйста, объясните мне, почему у вас есть ордер на арест за Ивкин Максим Геннадьевич?"  
(Lieutenant Tikhonovich please explain to me why you have an arrest warrant out for Ivkin Maxim Gennadiyevich?)

Shuddering slightly Chudov replied "Потому что он перебирал свидетелей, чтобы нести ответственность за более чем шесть десятков смертей в клубе несколько дней назад."  
(Because he was fingered by witnesses to be responsible for over six dozen deaths at a club a few days ago.)

Kirillovich shook his head in disbelief "То есть, даже отдаленно не возможно."  
(That is not even remotely possible.)

Chudov responded "Да. Он вошел в страну, наши записи показывают. Мы не нашли его еще, и мы не знаем его мотив, но мы найдем его."  
(Yes it is. He entered the country, our records show it. We have not found him yet and we do not know his motive but we will find him.)

Eyeing the Lieutenant closely Kirillovich asked "Когда он въехать в страну?"  
(When did he enter the country?)

"Четыре дня назад." Chudov stated.  
(Four days ago.)

Kirillovich responded "Невозможно. Геннадиевич только сбежал из власти в Канаде вчера."  
(Impossible. Gennadiyevich only escaped from authorities in Canada yesterday.)

Confused, Chudov asked "Канада?"  
(Canada?)

The Colonel went on to tell the Lieutenant that Gennadiyevich was in custody in Canada and was being transported to Ottawa to be interviewed by Interpol on suspicious activity and payments to a Russian who had just been identified as trafficking in humans, a Panin Savelievich.

Colonel Kirillovich stated "Понятно, что у вас есть проблемы и позволило мошеннику для въезда в страну. Покажите мне все ваши данные и отчеты относительно этого случая вы подозреваемой Геннадиевич в причастности."  
(It is clear that you have a problem and allowed an impostor to enter the country. Show me all your details and reports regarding this case you suspected Gennadiyevich of being involved in.)

Chudov's blood ran cold. How would he cover his involvement with Panin now that Interpol was involved?

* * *

 _ **Colonel Sutton's Office**_

Winds entered the Colonel's office and came to attention and saluted. He and Blaze had discussed this and he assured Blaze he was okay with reporting to Sutton for the unit. Blaze had felt bad that it fell to him. But he had reminded him yet again that Blondie needed Blaze to be there.

Sutton stated "At ease Corporal Simons."

He looked at the Corporal and almost shook his head. Plouffe kept demoting this man. Some day he needed to intercede. The soldier had a mouth on him that was for sure. The grounds for demotion were valid but he could see how Plouffe could drive a man to lay into him.

Winds went to parade rest and said "Permission to speak regarding my vacation Sir?"

The Colonel stated "Yes, I'd like to hear about your fishing trip. Please sit down and tell me about it."

Winds sat in the chair and understood that the room was not as secure as it should be that he would have to be creative in conveying the initial mission report. A more detailed report would take place when they all returned and debriefed. Winds just needed to convey unit status and results of the mission for right now.

He thought for a moment then Winds stated with a smile "The fishing was successful. Although we had to gut a few bottom feeders to get to the good fish. We caught more than just two little fishes. We delivered fourteen of the little fishes to some local penguins. We played DOMinos but then they flew off the table and landed in France with some extra tiles.

Sutton chuckled at the analogies and allusions. So, they were successful in getting Dom's girls and apparently saving several more children who were now safe with nuns. Dom and his girls were on their way to France with a few others. It would be interesting to find out who and why. Winds was admitting that their exit was messy too.

Tom asked "Heard that there might be trolling nets in that area. Hope no one got their lines caught in the nets. That would be bad news."

The smile disappeared from Winds' face. So, the Colonel was aware of the arrest warrants. No need to communicate that now. But he needed to give unit status.

Winds reported "It was close but no lines caught up. But me and Ripsaw decided to fly the coop when he got cut badly gutting a bottom feeder while fishing. Patch was worried about infection mostly. The others are still resting on the boat because Blondie got food poisoning. They should be arriving in a sea gull tomorrow."

Sutton's face fell. Damn. Ripsaw and Sam were injured but at least none of them had been caught or killed.

Tom summarized that cut could mean actually cut but more probably shot. Food poisoning though was odd. He would have to wait for the report from Jasper.

Sutton stated "Have Master Corporal Preston report directly to Dr. Parker to take a look at the cut. When Master Corporal Braddock arrives have him report to Dr. Parker as well."

Winds nodded and said "Ripsaw is already there and I suspect Patch planned the same for Blondie too."

The Colonel asked "How bad is the food poisoning?"

"Bad, he is really sick. He's been puking everything up. Patch says he will survive but it is extremely painful" Winds stated.

Then he leaned forward and motioned for a pen.

Sutton handed Winds a pen and a pad.

Winds wrote 'That was not code. Poisoned by Panin. Could have killed him. Unable to get Blondie and Mason out via airport. Getting them out via boat and seaplane'.

Sutton read the note and then nodded and promptly shredded the note in the crisscross shredder that would be incinerated at the end of the day. He was going to hate to tell William this. But at least Sam would survive.

Then Sutton stated "Well it sounds like a few of you might need a vacation from your vacation."

Winds snorted "Yeah you could say that. Don't ever plan to go on a vacation like that again if I can help it. We were not given all the appropriate details regarding how filthy the bottom feeders were. Put a big wrench in how we had to go about fishing. Just so you know, it was the reason Blondie got food poisoning. But he came through even though he was sick and helped Ripsaw when he was cut. Deserves a medal for that."

Quietly Sutton said "Duly noted. Debrief will cover those things. Officially your unit is still on leave. You are free to go."

Winds nodded and stood up. He saluted and then headed out of the Colonel's office. He could not wait for the official debrief. He had several choice words for whoever planned this black op. Not that the planner would be in the meeting but his words would get voiced.

* * *

 _ **Sattar Palace**_

Panin woke and stretched in the comfortable bed. He had slept in. He was loving living in the lap of luxury. He had discussed his plan for a business. Not giving exact specific, more or less alluding to it being a place where men could indulge their desires without fear of what others might think of their desires. The Prince seemed to get it without him being direct. Prince Ismad must be just like his brother he thought.

He headed for the in-room steam room. This room was huge and had everything he could wish for. In addition to the well-appointed bedroom, it had a huge bathroom to die for. It had a huge whirlpool tub, a walk-in shower with body jets, a dry sauna and the steam room. Panin's favorite was the steam room.

Panin stripped off the designer pajamas that were also provided him and grabbed a towel as he headed into the steam room. He closed the door and then settled down on the tiled bench after laying the towel down. Leaning back, Panin closed his eyes as the steam wafted around him. The life of a Prince is what he deserved.

From the monitor room Ismad watched the oily, rat-bastard. He made a motion with his hand and the man who was at the controls flicked a switch. Ismad allowed a small smile to grace his face. Panin would have no clue that his life was about to change.

At the flick of the switch, a small jet at the bottom of the wall in the steam room began to emit a slow hiss. It was indistinguishable from the sounds of the other steam jets. But it did not emit steam.

Panin breathed deeply and enjoyed the fragrance of the steam room. It was a nice touch that they pipped in fragrance. It smelled of myrrh and orange, with notes of ginger, cinnamon and cloves. Panin breathed deeply again. He felt so relaxed.

Ismad watched as Panin slumped over and his body rolled off the bench to the floor unconscious. Step one done.

He turned to the lead guard and spoke "Take him to the sewer room. His new life begins today."

The guard left the room to do as bid.

Sharaf looked at his brother and said "You should have just executed him like the guards did to all of Panin's guards. No one should remain alive. Not even the blonde. They all need to pay for Abdur's death."

Ismad turned to his now youngest brother and said "Sharaf, you must learn that some punishments are worse than death. Panin is slime who thought he deserved to live as we do. You saw how he took advantage of all our hospitality as if he lived here. You heard his plans for the money he wanted to borrow."

He put a hand on his brother's shoulder "I have hope for you brother that you will see that this is more fitting. Imagine if you will how much he will suffer every waking moment of his life knowing that above him is a life he will never get to experience again. He has seen how we live. The opulence of our home. But the rest of his natural life he will dwell in our sewers and eat nothing but rotted, discard food that we wouldn't even feed to livestock. He will feel the bite of the guard's whip if he does not perform his duties."

Sharaf thought on what his brother was saying. He had watched the lazy, greedy, ill-mannered snake for the past two days. Sharaf was amazed that he finally agreed with his eldest brother on something. He smiled and said "You are quite ruthless brother. I will keep that in mind and try not to cross you."

Ismad chortled loudly "Sharaf, you have nothing to fear from me so long as you think with your head and maintain the family honor."

Then Ismad looked at his brother and said "I know you brother. You will follow father's command not to go after the blonde. So, you can begin to focus on more lucrative things let me tell you now that his edict in that regard will be my edict as well. However, it is unlikely that the blonde survived. You heard Panin gloat that he poisoned him."

Sharaf eyed his brother. How the hell did he do that? Ismad always seemed to know what he was thinking. It was one of the things that irritated him most.

Ismad chuckled and said "Yes I know it irritates you that I know what you are thinking. I'll let you in on a secret. It is because my heart is thinking the same things. But we rule this country and I must act with my head. It is time you made the shift brother. Between us we can make a strong team. I see in you, a younger and more handsome version of me. I'd like you to begin ramping up in our business deals."

Sharaf grinned. Maybe it was time to quit acting immature and put aside his rebellious feelings for an older brother who always seemed to do everything right. He glanced at the monitor and saw the guards dragging the fat slob out of the steam room and thought he could learn a thing or two from his brother.

He said "I'd like that. But first I must ensure that Abdur's dead guards families are taken care of. Their bodies arrived this morning."

Ismad nodded "That reminds me. I need to ensure that Saleet and Jaasir are compensated for their loyalty and clear thinking. Even injured such as they were, they managed to ensure that none of Panin's guards were left alive to reveal Abdur had been there and arranged for Abdur's dead guards to be returned to their families just as they brought our brother home to us."

"Do not forget brother, they also brought us Panin" Sharaf added.

Ismad nodded again "Yes that too. Shall we go in for lunch now brother. There is a business deal I'd like to bring you in on. It will give you a glimpse of how business deals go when both parties deal honestly with one another. We have a long history of business dealing with him and his father and grandfather before him. They are an honorable family and I fully respect the man."

Sharaf could not hide the grin, this was a turning point in his relationship with his brother. He asked "Who is it?"

Ismad replied "Charles Arthur Brown Galloway, the eleventh Baron Wildingham."

.

* * *

 _ **AN:**_ _I was trying to figure out what country to make Sattar King of and I decided it would be a fictitious country but modeled after the UAE, where some of the emirates are absolute monarchies (meaning the ruler has supreme authority that is not restricted by any written laws, legislature, or customs). As I did some research, my ignorance showed in my previous chapters. In that part of the world, a King is often referred to as Sheikh or Sultan. All the brothers would also be referred to as Sheikh instead of Prince because it Sheikh is an honorific title given to royal males. However, the first born can be referred to as Crown Prince._

 _I will assume that Panin is ignorant too … so, I will keep his references to the royals as King and Prince to show his ignorance. I have updated previous chapters to reference Ismad as Crown Prince and the father as Sheikh when Panin is not the one talking or thinking. Sam and Mason will also use Prince since that is how Panin referred to him. However, for readability and clarity, I removed references to younger brothers as Prince in previous chapters and just used their first names._


	47. Mother's Rage, Brother's Bond & Best CO

**Mother's Rage, Brother's Bond & Best CO in Special Forces**

* * *

 _ **Dominque Savoy's Home**_

Jeanette was sitting in their living room staring at the photo album of her girls. The photos were blurry as she gazed at her sweet girls through her tears. Her delicately formed hand traced her girls faces.

She was a good operative many moons ago. But motherhood had become more important. She had given up that life to focus on her precious girls.

Both she and Dom knew the risks they took in the field but neither thought that their girls would be at risk. They were only eleven and thirteen. Families were out of bounds for most in their profession. It was like an unwritten rule. It was fine to go after them but children were innocent and therefore off limits.

Or so she thought. Dom had been betrayed by someone in SAS. Jeanette knew once Dom got their girls back, she had no doubt that he wouldn't, he would seek revenge on whomever it was that betrayed him.

Her phone rang and she answered "Bonjour."  
(Hello.)

 _[Harriet spoke briskly as always "Bonjour Jeanette. J'ai seulement une minute, mais je voulais appeler et voir si vous étiez disponible pour le dîner ce soir."  
(Hello Jeanette. I only have a minute but wanted to call and see if you were available for dinner tonight.)_

 _Pacing in her office Harriet knew she had to keep up the appearance of a friend. But oh, how she hated Jeanette and her brats. Jeanette had stolen Dom from her. She despised being Nicolette's godmother but she had no way to turn Jeanette down thirteen years ago and still maintain the façade._

 _Harriet knew she was a damned good operative, the proof of that was that Jeanette and Dom never suspected a thing. It had taken years but she had finally found a way to get back at Jeanette. And Dom for that matter. All these years and he barely even gave her the time of day when she was over at their home.]_

Jeanette thought it would be nice to spend time with her friend and long ago boss Harriet Lambourne. But she and Dom had decided to keep the girl's abduction under wraps. Keeping it quiet was important to finding the girls.

So, Jeanette responded "Pas ce soir. Désolé je suis occupé."  
(Not tonight. Sorry I'm busy.)

 _[Harriet cajoled "Trop occupé pour un bon ami. Mon plaisir.".  
(Too busy for a good friend. My treat.) _

_Harriet wanted to see the results of her handiwork. She wanted to see the distress in Jeanette's eyes. God, it would be great if she could be there when Jeanette got the news that Dom and the girls were dead._

 _Her demotion a year ago, had facilitated what she was able to do to Jeanette. Harriet was still bitter about her demotion. After all these years of supervising the MI6 operatives stationed in France and she was demoted to overseeing the records office here._

 _It stuck in her craw. Harriet had given her life to MI6. She never married. She did not have kids. MI6 was everything. Harriet had worked night and day for MI6 and what did she get in return, a demotion._

 _But Harriet used that demotion to her advantage. It was so easy to pilfer details and files in her new position. Her underlings had no clue what she was doing. Heck, all her colleagues would be surprised at how easy it was to steal and sell confidential operational intelligence._

 _Harriet sat down and unlocked her bottom drawer and pulled out her bottle of vodka. She added some to her 'juice' bottle. Then Harriet took a drink out of the bottle, capped it then locked it back up in her bottom drawer.]_

Jeanette wiped at the tears. Being alone again tonight would be tough. She knew Dom would not contact her until he could bring the girls home.

What harm could come from having dinner with Harriet? She had to eat, she might as well do it with a friend. Jeanette could just say the girls were in bed at home with Dom.

To make that sound more plausible Jeanette said "D'accord. Que diriez-vous de dix heures après avoir mis les filles au lit. Dom peut les regarder pendant que nous dames nous dînons. Nous pourrions nous rencontrer à Jadis."  
(Okay. How about ten pm after I put the girls to bed. Dom can watch them while just we ladies have dinner. We could meet at Jadis.)

 _[Harriet thought, oh you lie well Jeanette. But not near as well as me. I will see your pain and distress in your eyes. Your girls are everything to you. You gave up your career to be a stay at home mother._

 _She responded in a pleasant voice "Je vous vois à dix heures."  
(I'll see you at ten then.)_

 _Harriet hung up and thought that yes, she had used her demotion to the fullest advantage. Her bank account, that is her Swiss account, was now quite large._

 _Over the past year, she had sold several pieces of intel. When she was demoted and took over the records department Harriet found that she had access to so many details in the older files. They were still paper files and not encrypted, computerized files like recent ones._

 _When she was looking for something to sell, Harriet had come across an old file titled Operation Sandsnake. It was a stroke of luck when she saw Dominique's name and read the details. That was when she began to form her plan to seek her vengeance on Jeanette._

 _It had taken some work but she made it look like the leak came from SAS. Her demotion had helped with that to. She had names of all the SAS operatives in that mission._

 _So, when Harriet put out feelers to lure the Yurievich brothers to reach out to her, Harriet was able to negotiate with them. In exchange for paying a little less money for the intel, the brothers would in turn imply in the ransom note that they had obtained the intel from SAS._

 _That was necessary so Dom would have to go it alone. Harriet could not have Dom reaching out to his SAS pals for help in finding the girls. The Yurievich brothers wanted to kill him. What better way to lure him away from where he had support than to kidnap the girls and take them back to Russia._

 _Tonight was going to be so good. Jeanette would never see Dom or her girls ever again. Jeanette would be all alone in this world, just like she was._

 _Harriet took a long drink of her spiked juice and leaned back in her chair. Revenge was best served cold. Nearly sixteen years was stone cold. It made it all that much better. Like a well-aged wine.]_

Jeanette hung up the phone and looked at her sweet girl's photos again. She missed them so very much and she did not know what she would do if Dom did not find them.

NO! Jeanette refused to think that way. Dom would find them and bring them home. She just hoped it didn't take too much longer.

She stood and placed the album on the table to go make some tea. She stopped at the sound of the front door opening.

Jeanette turned. Her hand flew to her mouth as she raced down the hallway. Nicolette was in Dom's arms.

Her first words out were "Où se trouve Anna-Marie?"  
(Where is Anna-Marie?)

A man with coppery blonde hair and blue eyes stepped in behind Dom carrying Anna-Marie.

Jeanette cried "Nos filles. Nos précieuses filles. Vous les avez ramenés chez eux. Oh, Dom vous avez apporté mon coeur chez moi."  
(Our girls. Our precious girls. You brought them home. Oh, Dom you brought my hearts home to me.)

Dom entered his home and smiled at Jeanette as her hands flitted between the girls as they walked down the hallway. He said "My dear Jeanette, I would never come home without them. They are my heart too."

Jeanette noticed that two women and a boy and girl came in with Dom and the other man. And that Dom had spoken English. She drew a shaky, happy breath and said "Who are with you and why are the girls asleep?"

Dom headed for the stairs and said "It is a long story my dear. I will explain upstairs." Then he turned to Andro and said "Please give Anna-Marie to Jeanette and then make yourselves at home in the living room. Please help yourselves to anything you want in the kitchen. I will be down after I speak with my wife."

Andro handed off Anna-Marie to her mother and replied "Thank you Dom. Take your time. We will be fine down here until you are ready."

Dom then went up the stairs and to the master bedroom. He placed Nicolette on the bed and Jeanette reluctantly set Anna-Marie down and then looked to Dom "Please explain."

Crawling onto the bed Dom sat with his back against the headboard and then pulled Anna-Marie into his lap and said "Sit and hold Nicolette. I will tell you the basics as they begin to wake. The sedative should be wearing off shortly. Later I will give you the full accounting."

Jeanette sat down and pulled Nicolette into her lap. She stroked her hair and then looked to Dom.

Dom's eyes began to water as he said "I will not sugar coat this my dear. You need to know so we can help our girls. Our girls will need counseling. We need to have them checked out by a doctor too to see if they were … mol … molested. Our girls were almost sold into sexual slavery."

Jeanette gasped and tears sprung to her eyes "Almost?"

Caressing Anna-Marie's arm Dom nodded "We owe several men and two women a debt of gratitude we will never be able to repay. However, the greatest debt we owe is to William Braddock's son Sam. He was willing to trade his soul and his life to save our girls. It is because of him that our girls are home."

He then gave her a brief overview of all that had transpired. The last thing he had to tell her was going to shock her more than what he had already shared but Dom forged ahead and said "The leak was not SAS. It was MI6. The person that sold my name to the Yurievich brothers was Harriet Lambourne."

Jeanette's eyes widened in disbelief "No."

"Yes. The Yurievich brothers told me just before they died" Dom stated.

Shaking her head "No. She is Nikki's godmother. She planned their baby showers. She was the first one there when they were born. They were lying."

He pulled out Krymov's phone and handed to Jeanette "View the photos. It is true."

Jeanette viewed the photos. Rage built in her and Jeanette's eyes burned with the fires of hell as she looked to Dom and said "She dies. Tonight. She dies tonight when I meet her for dinner at Jadis. I will gut her. I will disembowel her and I will strangle her with her own intestines. She dies painfully for what she did to our girls."

Dom leaned over and then pulled Jeanette towards him and kissed her forehead. When he released her, Dom smiled and said lightly "I knew I married you for a reason. I feel so safe with you Jeanette."

But then seriously Dom said "We will get her but we need to go about this covertly. We need to first ensure she has not compromised any other operatives or sold other damaging intel."

Jeanette let the raging fire she was feeling die down and banked it to embers as she held Dom's gaze. She finally said "Once we do that, she dies, painfully."

Dom nodded in agreement "Yes, painfully. I know just the thing. It is a very painful poison. It is used in gardening so it will be perfect. We can make it look like either suicide or accidental poisoning."

"Should I cancel dinner with Harriet tonight?" Jeanette asked as she put her mind in operative mode and began thinking of their strategy.

"I think so. Our girls will need us tonight. We also have Andro and his family to get settled in. You could tell Harriet that we have out of town guests when you call to break dinner tonight" Dom responded.

Jeanette remarked "Those poor girls, Elsa and Nadya will need help. Nadya especially. Ten years. I do so hope that she can go on to make a wonderful life."

Dom caressed Nikki's arm as he said "Me too. Panin's funds will be used to assist her and all the others. They will get the help they need. I will follow up with Mary Catherine on all of the children."

Jeanette looked down at her precious girls as they were showing signs of waking and said "I'm glad you kept them sedated until they were home. No child should ever have to be harmed in that way."

Her eyes held Dom's eyes and she said "We need to do something to wipe men like Panin and Maks off the face of the earth."

Dom nodded "I've been thinking that very same thing my dear. I think I know of two people that will help us in that endeavor. Both showed great aptitude and skills that would be useful in bringing down operations like Panin's."

Nicolette blinked open her eyes. Things were a bit blurry. But she blinked several times more.

Jeanette whispered "Vous êtes sûr mon précieux. Tu es à la maison."  
(You are safe my precious one. You are home.)

Nicolette looked up into her mother's eyes. She burst into tears and deep wracking sobs and shaking overtook her body.

Jeanette wrapped her child in her arms and rocked her as she cried. She whispered soft, soothing words until Nikki calmed.

Dom reached over and caressed Nicolette's back as he held a still sleeping Anna-Marie.

After some time, Nicolette's sobs died down and she turned her head to look at her father "Papa, tu nous as sauvés. Tu es venu. Je savais que tu viendrais."  
(Daddy you saved us. You came. I knew you would come.)

Softly Dom said "Oui poppet Je viendrai toujours. Vous êtes en sécurité à la maison maintenant et vous serez toujours. C'est une promesse que je vous fais aujourd'hui."  
(Yes poppet I will always come. You are safe at home now and you will be always. That is a promise I make to you today.)

A whimper was heard from Anna-Marie and all three turned to watch as her little eyes worked their way open. The crying, shaking and hugging were repeated with Anna-Marie but this time Nicolette and Jeanette hugged her as Dom held her securely in his arms.

As Dom whispered softly and comforted his girls he vowed that he would spend the rest of his life watching out not only for his daughters but for children in general. He would seek out and destroy men or women like Panin. But first he had to deal with Harriet and Panin himself.

* * *

 _ **Abbey on the Outskirts of Makhachkala – Unit's Room**_

It was very early in the morning, near two am and Sam laid in bed staring at the ceiling. He grinned slightly as he ran his hand over his head. It was gone. Anastasia had cut his hair short like he liked it. It was long enough to spike the front slightly but short enough that when in the field, it dried quickly when he doused it.

He was happy when he learned he did not have to dye his hair too. His hair was like he liked it and he was wearing his own clothes. He was shedding the feeling of revulsion that he looked like someone as disgusting as Maks. Sam was beginning to feel more like himself.

Sister Maria had brought him a small mirror to look at the haircut after dinner time. The face that stared back at him was looking very thin. That was the result of not being able to keep much of anything down. The gauntness of his face also explained all the worried looks from the guys. Well that and the fact he was still in pain.

But the pain had subsided a little more this evening. Patch said he was probably on the downward slope of the toxin now. That was good because he was sick of feeling so sick. He was sick of puking.

Sam shifted on the bed and stifled a groan as his abdominal muscles protested movement. Puking your guts out over and over tended to give those muscles a workout.

Matt turned his head and said quietly so he did not wake the others "You need anything Sam?"

Sam turned to Matt and answered "Nah, I'm good?"

Swinging his legs off the bed and sitting up Matt asked "How about trying to eat something again? You kept down what you ate earlier. You need to get your strength back up a bit for tomorrow."

Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly Sam said "So I have to be conscious to transfer to the seaplane."

He glanced at Mason who was asleep in the bed on the opposite side of him. He stared a moment until he assured himself that Mason was sleeping. Then Sam turned back to Matt.

Sam whispered "Mattie I don't know if I can do that. Can't you guys just knock me out completely."

Matt got off his bed and checked Mike, Blaze, Patch and Anastasia and they all seemed to be sleeping. He moved to the floor next to Sam's bed so they could talk without disturbing the others and to keep it private.

He whispered "Sammy, it will be okay. I'll be right there. Patch said it will be light sedation. Kinda like taking a downer. It should relax you."

Sam's eyes searched Matt's "If they find out I'm afraid of water, they …"

"They won't find out. If you could be knocked out completely I would make sure that happened. But Blaze is right. Transfering to the seaplane in rough weather is going to be risky. You cannot be unconscious … if you fell in …" Matt's voice became choked up "… not that I'm gonna let that happen but … Sammy you cannot be totally incapacitated."

"But I'm gonna shake uncontrollably and maybe freeze up" Sam said with a hint of fear.

Matt reached out and clasped Sam's hand "Shaking is easily explained away with your current condition. As for freezing up, I don't think you will. You will be going from the boat to the seaplane. Leaving your fear."

Then Matt chuckled "If anyone is gonna freeze up its gonna be me. You will be leaving your fear and I will be going into mine. I'll get you through the boat ride if you get me through the plane ride."

Sam squeezed back. Matt was afraid of flying. It had only gotten worse after their unit crashed. Sam nodded "Okay. You get me through the boat and I get you through the flight."

Matt grinned and said "How bout trying to eat a bit more. Maybe some more broth and a few crackers?"

"Yeah sure" Sam answered.

Matt stood and said "I'll be back in a moment with the broth."

Sam nodded and then watched Matt head out of the room. What would he do without Matt? God, he hoped he never had to find out.

He started to push himself up and found that now that some of the pain had ebbed, he was not quite as weak. Sam managed to get himself into a sitting position by the time that Matt returned with the food.

Matt asked "Can you manage yourself or you want me to hold the cup for you?"

Sam reached out for the cup "I'll manage."

Matt handed it over thinking it was good to see Sam starting to come back to him. He was still very weak and in pain but he wanted Sam to feel in as much control as he could. So he let Sam dictate what he was able to do for himself. He sat down on the edge of the bed. Although Sam wanted to do it himself and Matt would let him, Matt would stay close in case Sam's energy waned.

They talked softly about the changes to the plans for tomorrow again as Sam slowly drank the broth and nibbled on saltine crackers. Matt wanted to make sure Sam had retained all that Blaze explained to Sam earlier. Sam was still a little out of it when Blaze explained it. He was glad to see that Sam retained enough of it, at least the parts pertinent to himself.

When Matt was satisfied that Sam was prepared for the exfil, Matt changed topics. He shared with Sam something he learned in the kitchen tonight. The news would make Sam happy.

"I heard the Abbess and Sister Maria talking. They have located five of the kid's families already. The families are traveling here from various locations and the first one will be arriving in two days."

Sam smiled "That's good news."

"Yeah, one of the families was for the oldest boy, Misha. Apparently, he ran away from home because he did not like his parent's curfew. His first night away from home one of Panin's goons grabbed him while he was sleeping in an alley" Matt imparted.

Sighing for a few reasons, Sam said "I'm happy for him, but I bet his parents rules don't look too bad now."

Sam thought about Bella. Without her or the police officer that found him that night, he could have ended up either dead or possibly in a similar situation as Misha. Thank god for Bella.

He took another sip of the chicken broth and looked at Matt. A wild thought from left field popped into his head and he said "You know I could go for Maisie's chicken soup right about now. She made the best chicken soup ever."

Matt looked quizzically at Sam "Who is Maisie? I don't think I ever heard you mention that name before."

Sam smiled and shared "Maisie Craig. She is Doc Landry's wife. She ran a general store in the little town near where Wilson took me skiing. I got real sick one time. Jumped into a lake to save a little girl that fell through the ice while ice skating. I got pneumonia or something. Anyhow, Maisie made me homemade chicken soup. It was the only thing I would eat."

"Heck, it was the only thing I could keep down for a few days. I haven't thought about Maisie in years. I guess all this talk of water, being sick as a dog and drinking chicken broth made me think of her" Sam reflected.

Matt grinned and said "Just think about that little girl tomorrow. Focus on that and you should be able to calm yourself."

Sam shook his head "No. That won't work Mattie. This fear runs too deep. I wasn't terrified of deep water back then. I still remember what it was like to take that last breath, knowing it was my last breath. To go under for the last time when Warren could no longer hold onto me in the sleeping bag. The blackness that surrounded me."

He tapped his chest and said "The burning as I held my breath Mattie. I can hold my breath a really long-time. I sank and sank, unable to do anything about it. I was helpless. I still feel all of that when I even look at deep water from a distance. I'm not sure I can do it but I have to try because I cannot fail the unit. But deep water scares the shit out of me Mattie."

Sam hands started to shake and Matt reached out and covered Sam's hands with his to steady the cup.

"See, just the thought of getting on that boat has me shaking Matt" Sam stated.

Matt took the cup and set it down "I think that shaking was more that you have over exerted yourself. How about you lay down and rest now. You do not need to think about getting onto the boat at all. All you have to think about is getting off it and into the plane. I got you Sammy. Together we will get you through this and the guys never need to know."

Sam suddenly felt wiped out. He nodded to Matt. He would trust Matt to get him through this. Their brother bond was so strong that he knew he could trust Matt, always.

He knew that Matt would get him safely into the plane and the guys would never know that he was scared shitless of the water. Sam in turn would help Mattie during the flight. He would distract him until they landed.

That is what brothers did for one another. They shored up the other when they needed it, they always took care of each other. Sam was so glad he had met Matt. Matt he was the brother he had always wanted.

Matt helped Sam lay back down and noticed that Sam's eyes closed as soon as his head hit the pillow. Sam was breathing regularly in less than a minute. Matt thought, good, his brother needed to sleep. Sammy needed his strength for tomorrow. Well actually later today, Matt corrected as he checked his watch and saw it was near three am now.

Then he picked up the tray with the cup and crackers on it. Matt looked into the cup and noticed the broth was nearly gone. That made him smile. Sam had also managed to eat six crackers. He hoped that they stayed down.

Matt turned to take the tray back to the kitchen and saw Blaze staring at him with a concerned look on his face. Crap!

Blaze stood and silently followed Matt out of the room and to the kitchen.

* * *

 _ **Abbey on the Outskirts of Makhachkala – Kitchen**_

Blaze waited to say anything until he and Matt were in the kitchen and then he pierced Matt with his blazing eyes as he demanded loudly in a hard tone "Why the hell did you not tell me Blondie is terrified of water?"

Matt held his CO's glare and retorted harshly "Because it was none of your damned business."

His eyes flared as Blaze snapped back angrily "Everything to do with the safety and running of this unit is my business."

Blaze held Matt's gaze for another minute as Matt just glared back. What the hell was he going to do? Blaze released Matt's eyes and ran his hands roughly through his jet-black hair as he growled in frustration. He began to pace.

Matt watched Blaze. He could not believe he had just spoken to his commanding officer like that. Shit. Blaze had a point, but he had promised Sam.

He could see how upset Blaze was so he offered an olive branch "It was never an issue with us being stationed in the desert. I promised Sam I would not tell. He has been through so much and taken too many blows to his ego lately. He sees it as a weakness. I don't but that doesn't mean a damned thing to Sam, only how he feels is important right now. Sam has a valid reason for his fear. It is not trivial or irrational."

Blaze quit pacing, he looked at Matt then said "Tell me. I need to know." Then Blaze sat on the bench and his voice was a tad weary and some emotion was in his inflection as he said "I care about Blondie. I need to know so I can watch his six."

Matt stood and considered the emotion he heard in Blaze's voice. It was hard to give up a confidence, he had promised Sam not to tell. But Blaze had overheard. Blaze already knew of the fear now. He was asking the why of the fear. Matt blew out a frustrated breath trying to decide what if anything to tell Blaze.

Finally, he sat down wearily and looked at Blaze.

Blaze said "Please tell me. I want to help Blondie if I can."

Matt maintained eye contact with Blaze and said "Okay, I'll tell you but you can never let Blondie know that I told you. I'm only telling you what caused the fear because you overheard and already know about his phobia. If you had not overheard, I would never betray my word to Sam."

Blaze nodded "Duly noted. And for the record you are not betraying him. As you said, I found out about the fear when I overheard Blondie say 'deep water scares the shit out of me Mattie'. You are just filling in details."

Matt nodded and told Blaze about the stupid hazing incident gone bad, when Sam and he were new to the Gagetown base. How Sam and he had gone on a camping trip to Grand Lake with six of the guys in their new unit to get to know them. He related that he and Sam drank too much with the others and fell asleep and when they awoke they had been tightly tied in their sleeping bags. The guys thought it would be funny to initiate them so their drunk unit buddies hauled them onto the boat still bound in the sleeping bags and drove around the lake as they threatened to toss them overboard.

His voice became very quiet as he told how Sam and Warren had been accidentally knocked overboard when a fight broke out between several of the guys and one of the guys gunned the motor. Matt told Blaze how the boat capsized when they turned too quickly to return to get Sam and Warren once the guys noticed they had gone overboard.

Then Matt said "David hit his head on the side of the boat and was knocked out. Harry and Zane got to him and pulled him onto the hull of the boat. Harry stayed with David. John and Brad got to me and got me out of the sleeping bag. Raoul started swimming for Sam and Warren."

"Once I was freed from the sleeping bag, John, Brad, Zane and I started swimming for Sam and Warren too. I swam as hard and fast as I could to get to Sam. Warren and Sam were screaming for help. They kept going under. Warren was not a good swimmer. Sam was tied so tightly in the sleeping bag he could do nothing to keep himself afloat. He was solely dependent on Warren keeping his head above water. The water was freezing cold. It was zapping everyone's energy."

Matt's voice was thready and thin as he said "I was too far away and too late. Sam screamed one more time when Warren's grasp on him failed and Sam went under. Warren did too. When I reached where they went under I dove down for Sam so many times I lost track of time. I couldn't see anything below, it was all blackness. But I wasn't going to leave him down there. My hand luckily found him. If it hadn't been for the sleeping bag trapping some air, Sam would have sunk to the bottom of the lake."

His voice cracked and shook with emotion "Sam was dead when I brought him up. There was no pulse. Sam drowned. I screamed and cried as we were pulled out of the lake by the coast guard rescue team. I grieved all the way to the hospital. I thought I lost Sammy for good, all because of some stupid drunken prank."

Taking a deep steadying breath, Matt continued with a stronger voice "The doctors at the hospital told me about a mammalian reflex that happens sometimes when someone drowns in frigid water. As they slowly warmed him, Sam heart started beating again. It was a miracle he came back."

Matt looked at Blaze "So you see, Sam has a valid reason to fear the water. He drowned. He died."

Blaze's head dropped to his hands as he tried to comprehend the emotional toll of what Matt shared would have on someone. Holy crap. Blondie had been through too much, too damned much. The kid definitely had a valid reason for being terrified of water. It was no willy-nilly irrational fear.

A surge of fatherly protectiveness enveloped Blaze.

He lifted his head and looked to Matt "Blondie's secret is safe with me. I will not even let him know that I know. You are right in that Blondie has taken too many hits to his ego lately. It was one reason I agreed to his idea to go in all cocky and refuse to perform for Panin. Blondie needed to know he was still capable. We all know it but Blondie needed to know it."

Then Blaze added "I'll talk to Patch before I head out and see if we can up the dosage a bit more for him. Depending on the conditions perhaps we can keep him more sedated and rig a safety line between the boat and plane and haul him over without him having to be fully aware of where he is. We will get him safely onto the plane. I promise you that."

Grinning Blaze then said "It is nothing more or less than I would do for any member of this unit. And that includes you too Matt. We all know that flying is not your favorite thing and I've been able to steer our mission transport away from air whenever possible. We will get you safely on the ground. I promise you that too Matt."

A stunned expression covered Matt's face. It surprised him to find out Blaze did that for him. No one but Sam had ever looked out for him like that. Hell, his own father would have laughed in his face if he had known he was afraid of flying. But Blaze, Blaze was looking out for him and he never even knew it. It was hard to comprehend that someone would do that for him.

Still unable to believe what he had heard Matt asked "You have really modified our transport on missions just for me?"

Blaze was surprised at the look of disbelief on Matt's face. But maybe he shouldn't be. Matt had a rough childhood. Watching your father murder your mother in front of you and beating the crap out of you was something more than rough. Matt had shields too like Blondie.

It was only a few months ago, when Matt had nearly ended his own life, that Matt began opening up to the guys about his past. It had shocked all of them that day to hear about his horrific childhood. But it made it clearer to all of them why Blondie and Matt had such a tight bond. So, Blaze figured that his looking out for Matt might actually stun him.

Matt probably never had anyone except Blondie do that for him. Blaze was grateful that he and Ripsaw had entered the tent when they had that day, otherwise they would have lost Matt. Matt's attempt at suicide was the final deciding factor for Blaze to take the unit rogue and disobey orders to go find Blondie. Blaze knew that his decision that day probably saved both Blondie and Matt.

However, in the past few months, the unit had been so focused on Blondie's needs that Blaze had forgotten that Matt needed support too. Matt kept them all in the light with his music and talk of the beauty of life. But when all was said and done, who kept Matt in the light? Did Matt know he was as important to the unit as Blondie was? Blaze was not sure Matt did know that.

So, it was high-time that Blaze let Matt know that he was just as important as the rest of them.

Blaze stated "Yeah Matt, I have done that, several times as a matter of fact. You are important. My men, all my men are important to me. Keeping you all safe while we successfully complete our missions is part of my job. But I do it because I care about each of you, not because it is part of the job. If it means I need to modify something to help one of you, then I modify it if I can. Water will be less of an issue in the desert than flying. But now that I know Blondie's fear I can try to mitigate the risk in future missions just like I try to mitigate flying due to your fear."

Stunned at finding this out, Matt could only stare at his Lieutenant. Matt decided here and now that Blaze was the best damned CO in all of Special Forces. He and Sam had lucked out when they got assigned to this unit.

Feeling a bit overwhelmed Matt stated with sincerity, "Thank you Blaze."

Blaze raised his brows and shook his head "Matt, you know there is no need for thanks. We are a unit. We all look out for each other." He stood and said "Let's get back and catch a few more winks, we need to be at our best for the exfil."

Matt stood and Blaze swung an arm around Matt's shoulder as he said "Thanks for sharing the details with me. I know that was hard for you to share a confidence. You are a good man Matt and Blondie is lucky to have you as a brother. Hell, I'm lucky to have you as a friend and proud to call you brother too. Together we will watch out for Blondie and keep him safe while he watches out for us too."

They headed down the hall together. Both lost in their own thoughts which if they knew what each other was thinking they would be surprised their thoughts were along the same lines.

Both were thinking that Sam/Blondie needed the unit to watch out for him but they also needed Sam/Blondie to watch over them. Every last one of the unit were needed to ensure they all came out of each mission whole and alive. Their lives depended on one another. It forged a deep and strong bonds of brotherhood that would last a lifetime.


	48. Fish Bait, Hatred Blooms, and Rough Seas

**Fish Bait, Hatred Blooms, and Rough Seas**

* * *

 ** _Makhachkala Dock_**

People turned their noses up and scurried quickly away from the stinking, filthy giant carrying a huge box marked fish bait in large Cyrillic script. No one wanted to be anywhere near the man. His stench cleared a path, fifteen feet wide, around him in all directions.

Mason wanted to be sick—the foul odor was so horrible he wanted to run away from himself. Hell, he'd prefer to be dressed as a nun right now. A nun's habit would be like wearing a kilt of sorts—he had no problem wearing a kilt. He actually liked his kilt—not that he wore it often. A few times when he went to the Highland Games with his family.

He allowed his mind to focus on something pleasant, his family—his parents and sisters, Nan, Em, and Cala. He was excited to spend time with Cala on his next leave—he was closest to her and they enjoyed each other's company. He was also looking forward to meeting Em's husband. Mason wished he hadn't missed her wedding, but being there for Blondie while he recovered was more important. His family understood and agreed that he was where he needed to be at that time—Blondie had needed all of them to make it through his recuperation. He'd done what many thought impossible, but then, Blondie was like that—he was a warrior and he fought hard to make it back to the unit.

Thinking about Blondie, the kid was lucky. He was getting to sleep through this stench. Blondie was safely ensconced inside this box, lying on several plush blankets and a soft pillow under his head. Luckily his vomiting had stopped, but Blondie was still so weak and his muscles were so sore from all the vomiting he had done over the past days. Mason was glad he was sedated because if he were awake, he'd be hurling again from the fish stench alone—and that was the _last_ thing the kid needed to be doing.

It was taking everything Mason had to keep the contents of his own stomach from making an appearance onto the dock. Thank god, he was almost to the yacht. Mason saw Blaze and Patch as they boarded well ahead of him. The three of them had come in the same vehicle and Patch had gagged when he was in the truck with them. Patch had actually turned green and puked out the window on the way here. It was doubtful that any of them would be eating fish for a very, very long time.

Matt and Anastasia came separately so as to not draw attention with the five of them traipsing together to the boat. As he approached the yacht, he turned to the left and saw Anastasia approaching from a different direction. He noticed that Anastasia, although dressed drably as a cook, still turned heads as she headed for the yacht. She was too beautiful not to stand out—no matter what she wore and no matter that she was wearing no makeup. Mason smiled. Anastasia was just as beautiful, if not more so, on the inside. She had helped Blondie in a way that none of the guys ever could—in a way they hadn't even realized he needed help with.

That thought brought with it anger. The animals that tortured Blondie needed to die. He wanted to snap their necks with his bare hands. He would if he ever located any of them. Mason knew that Blaze and Winds had taken a blood oath to not leave the field until every last one of the bastards was dead. A vow he also made to himself. He added a name to that list—Panin Savelievich. The man would become fish bait for poisoning Blondie and for what he'd done to all those children, especially Dom's daughters.

Mason reached the boat and he heard Matt retch as he carefully set the fish bait box on the boat next to him. As Matt turned and puked over the side of the boat, Mason chuckled. He said quietly, "If I can carry this without retching …"

Matt wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. Looking at Mason, he stated, "You eat haggis. You're used to disgusting things."

Laughing, Mason responded, "Don't knock it until you try it. It's delicious. Quit retching and help me get this bait box below deck."

Matt reached for the handle on one side and lifted as his stomach roiled and he wanted to puke again. Puking sucked. Damn. Sam had been puking for days. He sucked it up and swallowed the bile that rose due to the foul dead fish stench as he and Mason maneuvered the box down the narrow stairs. Mason wasn't able to carry the box himself because the stairs were too narrow to accommodate him _and_ the box.

Hell, the stairs barely accommodated Mason. He stifled a laugh as Mason whacked his head on the bulkhead at the bottom of the stairs. At six-foot-ten, Mason was a huge man who had to watch his head going into most places.

As Mason rubbed the sore spot on his forehead, he grumbled, "This boat is made for midgets."

Matt quipped, "At least it isn't a submarine, or you'd have to crawl on your hands and knees so you didn't bump your head."

Mason chuckled.

* * *

 ** _Yacht Heading Out into the Caspian Sea_**

Blaze and Patch cast off the mooring lines and then Blaze piloted the yacht away from the dock. The farther away from the dock they went, the more relaxed he became. The plan had worked so far, but Blaze wasn't going to relax until they all landed back at base and after the kid was thoroughly checked over by Dr. Parker. They still had the rendezvous to make with the seaplane and transferring a groggy Blondie between the yacht and the seaplane would be difficult. The sea was rough today. A big storm was brewing and he hoped that the weather would hold off long enough for Mike to meet them. If the weather was too dangerous to fly in, then they would have to wait it out. But waiting would pose additional problems for Blondie.

Blaze still couldn't believe that Blondie had made it through Special Forces training with is fear of water. It was a testament to the kid's ability to persevere and get the job done. But he'd seen in his eyes, just before Patch gave him the sedative, that he was scared to death. It pierced Blaze deeply. That kid wasn't afraid to run headlong into gunfire, a building loaded with explosives, or any number of frightening situations that would have a normal man hauling ass the opposite direction. But he was scared to death of water. It was a justified fear. He'd drowned—actually drowned and been revived.

Although it was an unintentional accident, Blaze still wanted to locate the men responsible for Blondie drowning and beat some sense into them. It was one of the stupidest hazing events he'd ever heard of. Not that he agreed with any hazing. Teasing, joking, harmless pranks, and razzing if it wasn't malicious were fine—but hazing was just wrong. There were better ways to build a strong unit. He knew that for a fact, because his unit was strong, very strong. Blaze would lay his life on the line for any one of them without a moment's hesitation—and he knew that each one would do the same for him. Their bond was that strong.

Patch sidled up to Blaze and rubbed his upset stomach. "Man, were dumping that fish bait box just as soon as we get out of port. The stench is too much."

Blaze chuckled. "Your stomach still queasy?"

Patch nodded. "Mason is in the shower now. How he didn't hurl, I'll never know. Hell, how you didn't hurl I don't know either."

Patting his stomach, Blaze stated, "Cast iron stomach."

"You're gonna need it if this weather holds out. The sea might get bad enough that we won't have to deliberately sink the boat." Patch, grab his stomach again and raced to the side, letting loose again.

Anastasia appeared as Patch was finishing and handed him a water bottle. "Sam's resting comfortable in the bunk. Matt could use a hand bringing the box up."

Patch took the water and rinsed his mouth of the foul taste as he eyed Blaze. Silently his eyes begged not to have to go near the fish bait box again.

Seeing the clear evidence on Patch's face that he would hurl again, Blaze said. "Keep us on this heading and I'll go help Matt. I wanna check on Blondie anyway."

"In case you're wondering, Matt put the life vest on him already. I swear you'd think he was afraid Sam was gonna drown or something." Anastasia stated, knowing nothing of Sam's past drowning or fear of the water.

Blaze only nodded and said, "He's sedated, it's a proper precaution to take with the rough seas. Back in a moment." Then he quickly headed below.

* * *

 ** _Sattar Palace_**

Panin cowered in the corner of the little room. It was barely big enough for him and two others to lay down. He was filthy and wearing rags. He'd had nothing to eat for days. Not because he wasn't given food—or what was supposed to pass for food—but because his two cellmates stole it from him. They ganged up on him. One kicked him in the head while the other took his meager portion. Then they'd split it, leaving him starving.

He looked up as the heavy, metal door squeaked open. He shrank further back into the corner while his cellmates quickly laid prostrate on their stomachs and waited for the command to rise. Panin refused to debase himself by bowing in such a manner to the heathen. He felt the fire of the whip as it lashed down on him. After the third strike, he lowered himself to his stomach, face down. His life sucked. He burned with hatred. That blond, whoever he was, was going to pay for this.

At his overseer's command, he rose to his knees and crawled out the door like the other two. He pushed the bucket containing the scrub brush in front of him as he made his way to the sewers. Panin vowed to find a way out of this hell hole and kill the entire Sattar family, the blond, and that giant bodyguard of his. Then he would find Mike and kill him too. It was ultimately his fault that the blond man impersonating Maks came to his bordello.

As he felt the bite of the whip on his back for not moving fast enough, Panin comforted himself with thoughts of how he was going to torture each one of them before he killed them. They would pay for this ten-fold. His hatred bloomed as it took firm root in his blacken soul.

* * *

 ** _Three Days Later – Yacht in the Middle of the Caspian Sea_**

The yacht rolled wildly one way then the next on the rough sea swells. The weather had delayed meeting up with Mike and the seaplane. They were on their third day of heaving up and down at the mercy of the boiling sea. The driving rain had not relented and the sun had not broken through the clouds once in the past three days.

Patch was laid up in one of the bunks. He had a perpetual green tinge and a look that indicated he would hurl any second. None of them—not even Patch himself—knew Patch could get so seasick, but he was. Anastasia stayed with Patch and cared for him. She had better sea legs than any of the guys and was the only one not to hurl due to the violent pitching of the yacht. Even Blaze, with his cast iron stomach, was feeling the effects of the rolling sea and got sick once.

Mason and Blaze took turns at the helm and in cooking for the others. Although cooking consisted of heating up broth. They had expected the yacht to be fully stocked so did not bring provisions. But apparently, someone had raided the boat while the Tenorio family was at the Abbey. They were lucky to find several packets of instant broth and there was luckily an abundant supply of fresh water. There had been a half a loaf of bread, but that was gone by day two.

Matt never left Blondie's side, Blaze had told the others that Matt was in charge of Blondie, especially seeing that Patch was laid low due to seasickness. Blaze stayed with Blondie when he wasn't at the helm. The sedatives Patch had brought were gone by the the second morning. It broke Blaze's heart to see the intense fear that filled Blondie's eyes as he held on to the bunk railing with a white-knuckled grip. The kid only slept fitfully. The only bright spot—if he could call it that—was that Blondie was not puking and was able to keep down his broth. Apparently, he didn't get seasick—but he was deathly afraid.

Blaze opened the door to Blondie's room and found Matt asleep on the bed sitting right next to Blondie. Matt was exhausted. He'd tried to stay awake to be there for Blondie, but physical need had finally won out. Blondie had a death grip on one of Matt's hands and the other hand was fused to the bed railing as it always was. His eyes were closed, but Blaze could see the tension etched into his face and it came off him in huge waves.

He sat down on the only chair in the room and quietly said, "Hey, kiddo, I brought you some broth."

Sam opened his eyes and saw Blaze holding out a cup to him. He didn't want to let go of either Matt or his bunk, but he was hungry. He was expending loads of energy as his body coiled tightly trying to keep himself calm. Every muscle cried out from the ever-present contraction. Slowly he released his grip on the bunk—keeping his tether to Matt was better than to an inanimate object.

"Thanks," Sam managed to get out past the lump of fear in his throat.

Blaze moved the chair closer to Blondie as the kid took the cup from him. He nonchalantly placed his hand on Blondie's knee—giving him reassurance. Blaze had said nothing to Blondie that he knew of his fear, he just made sure he was a calming presence when he came into the room. That, and he kept the others out. The kid didn't need to deal with embarrassment on top of his fear.

Although, in his mind, there was nothing for Blondie to be embarrassed about. But he knew how Blondie would react—so he acted accordingly. Perhaps one day he would talk to the kid and ask him to share his fear. He knew none of the others would see him as inferior because of it. If they had a mission in the future near or dealing with water he would insist on it so the guys could plan around it, if possible.

Sam felt Blaze's hand on his knee. He'd said nothing, Matt said nothing, but Sam was certain Blaze knew he was afraid. His actions were always calming. The hand on his knee actually reduced a small amount of tension. He sipped the broth, then asked, "Patch feeling any better today?"

"No, still green to the gills. You still have him beat in the hurling department, but he is running a close second."

Taking another sip first, Sam responded, "I'd die happy if I never puked again. Getting poisoned sucked."

Blaze nodded. "Yeah, I know. But on the bright side, your actions rescued so many children from a horrible life. You did good Blondie. I'm proud of how you handled yourself. This was no easy mission. It asked more of you than it should've. I'm going to give the General a piece of my mind. Wish I could give him a boot up the ass, too."

Sam shook his head. "Don't. Don't say anything. Don't screw up your career. I'm not worth it."

Blaze's eyes flashed with fire and his voice was stern. "Don't you ever say that again. EVER! You got that Blondie? You are worth it! You can't let your father's coldness towards you color your sense of worth. You are valued, extremely valued for who you are. Got that?"

The words felt good, he wished with everything in him that he'd had a father like Blaze. But he didn't. His father was the General and the General didn't value him one damned bit and would actually prefer if he was dead. But he answered, "Roger."

Blaze let the fire bank in his eyes and patted Blondie's knee. The kid's father had done a number on him—the cold-hearted bastard didn't know what a great man he had for a son. "Drink up. If you want more, I'll get you some. You need to get your strength back."

Sam downed the rest of the broth and handed the cup to Blaze. His hand gripped his bunk tightly again. "Yeah, I'll take more. Maybe some bread or crackers," he asked, hopeful that Blaze would allow him to eat something other than broth. Blaze had said with Patch down and unable to care for him, he didn't want to chance anything other than broth. Sam could see the reason behind that, but he hoped for something a little more substantial than broth. He'd kept crackers down at the Abbey, but he didn't know if the yacht was stocked with crackers or not.

Grinning, Blaze stood up. He was glad Blondie took him up on his offer for more broth. They were low on rations, so low that he would be giving Blondie his portion of the broth tonight. Blaze would gladly go hungry for a week to make sure Blondie ate. He knew if he said something to Mason and Anastasia they would give up their rations, too. Blaze knew for a fact that Matt had done so.

Blaze wished there was more than just broth. Perhaps he should've been honest with the kid about the food situation from the onset, but Blondie had enough to deal with. Feeling guilt for withholding information, Blaze responded, "We're out of bread and crackers, I'll see if I can find a suitable replacement, something that will be easy on your stomach. But no guarantees."

Just before he headed out, hoping to ease Blondie's fear a bit, he relayed the good news. "Oh, and from the weather report, it looks like we'll get a break in the morning. Mike should be able to get to us by mid-morning, if all goes well. Be back in a bit with something for you to eat."

Sam glanced at Matt when the door closed. He was worried about Matt. He hadn't eaten much of anything. He kept saying his stomach was roiling too much to even drink his broth. After a few sips, Matt forced him to drink the rest of it instead saying it shouldn't go to waste. As the yacht pitched violently, Sam increased his grip on Matt's hand.

Matt's voice was sleepy as he said, "I'm here Sam. Just hold on. Hold on. We'll be off this boat soon. You're doing so well. You got this." He continued a litany of words. He'd learned that keeping a running commentary helped Sam focus more on him and less on his all-consuming fear.

Sam interrupted Matt. "Blaze says we'll be off the boat by mid-morning."

Matt rubbed his grainy eyes. They were dry from lack of sleep and the salty air. He sat up. "That's good. Well, at least for you. I guess we're gonna hold hands a bit longer, only it will be me squeezing the life outta yours tomorrow morning."

"Thanks for everything, Matt. I couldn't do this if not for you."

Matt grinned. "Likewise, plane-wise."

Blaze opened the door and found Matt awake. He grinned and sat down again. He'd scoured the entire yacht and in one of the rooms he luckily found something he thought Blondie might be able to keep down. "How bout a granola bar. Do you think your stomach can handle that?" He held out the bar and the cup of broth to Blondie to choose.

Sam took the granola bar. His stomach was screaming for something solid. It had been nothing and then nothing but broth for days. "Yeah, thanks."

Blaze rested his hand on Sam's knee again and watched as he opened the foil covered bar with his teeth instead of releasing his grip on Matt's hand. Matt and Blaze kept a running conversation as Blondie slowly ate the hard granola bar. They were surprised when he stopped half way.

"Eat it." Sam said as he looked at Matt and held out the bar to him.

Shaking his head, Matt said, "No. My stomach—"

Something flashed in Matt's eyes and gave Sam pause. He knew Matt so well. Blaze's words came back to him, we're out of bread and crackers. The granola bar was old and stale ... Sam interrupted. "Dammit, Matt, eat something. I know what you've been doing. I heard your stomach rumble."

Matt slowly reached for the bar. He knew Sam had read him. "I'll eat half of what's left. But you're eating the other half. I didn't go days puking my guts out like you did. So it's more important that you eat right now." He took a bite and handed the other half back to Sam.

Sam reluctantly took the piece back and slowly ate it. When he was done, Blaze handed him the cup of broth. He took a big sip to wash down the dry granola bar as Matt started talking to him again to distract him from his fear. His hand never ceased its bruising grip on Matt's hand.

Blaze grinned as he watched Blondie and Matt. They truly watched out for each other. Sharing the same blood wouldn't make those two any closer as brothers. It was as strong as the bond that Blaze shared with Winds—and that was damned strong. He stood when Sam finished the second cup of broth and said, "Matt, I'll be back with some for you. Blondie, there's more if you want."

Sam shook his head as he handed back the cup. He realized a little too late that someone, probably Blaze, would go hungry tonight. He didn't want to take anyone else's ration even though he was hungry. He knew all too well what it felt like to go hungry after three months in captivity. Days on end with nothing and then only a small amount of something that wasn't fit to be eaten. He could wait until tomorrow to eat again. He added, "Stomach shrank. I'm full. Thanks, Blaze. But you shouldn't have done that. You need to eat, too."

Blaze thought, damn the kid is bright—he'd figured it out. The stale granola bar was probably a dead give-away. Damn. He left it lie without acknowledging it. Yeah, this unit was tight and they all looked out for each other—they were all brothers. "Back in a minute with yours, Matt."

Sam turned to Matt. "You're drinking your broth tonight. It'll go to waste if you don't."

Matt chuckled, nodded, and began his rambling words again to distract Sam as the boat pitched deeply to one side and Sam cut off all blood circulation to his hand as he gripped it so tightly.

.

* * *

 ** _AN:_** My second novel **SOLACE: Behind the Shield** had been published.

Both **FORSAKEN: On the Edge of Oblivion** and **SOLACE: Behind the Shield** are available as **ebooks** or **paperbacks** on **Amazon**. If you have Kindle Unlimited you can read it for FREE, too. Note: Kindle ebooks can be read on computers, tablets and phones with a free reader app from Amazon - NO Kindle required.

You can search for **LAURA ACTON** on **Amazon** to **read the first few chapters** of **each book** for **FREE** with their look inside feature.

My **Beauty of Life series** _somewhat_ follows the world I have created on fanfiction and incorporates pieces of my existing stories into the flow of the overall story line. However, there are _necessary changes_ , **tons of NEW content** , and **NEW twists and turns**.

Come meet **Daniel** **William Broderick** , Alexandra **'Lexa'** McKenna, **Jon** Hardy, **Nick** Pastore, **Loki** Baldovino, **Bram** De Haven, **Ray** Palomo, **Tia** Walsh, **Brody** Mikhail Hunter and the rest of **your favorite characters** (General Broderick, Yvonne, the Broderick cousins, Blaze, Mason, Patch, Winds, etc.).

Delve into a complex world of courageous men and women riding a roller coaster of emotions and danger. Explore the nature of relationships and bonds developed, tested, and strengthened in the face of adversity as they seek to find the beauty of life.

 **FORSAKEN Summary:**

Dan Broderick is on the edge of oblivion. After a friendly fire incident, his heart and soul were ripped to shreds. He chose to leave Special Forces when his unit, men he considered brothers, turned their backs on him. Dan returned to Toronto where he hoped to find the beauty of life and make a difference as a sniper for the Tactical Response Force. Will his new team pull him back from the edge or be the reason he slips into oblivion?

Alpha Team is the elite team of Toronto's Tactical Response Force. Five men and one woman with a rare familial bond, help each other cope with the dark side of humanity as they keep the citizens of Toronto and each other safe. Their team balance is knocked off kilter when an unwanted, new teammate is forced on them. Will Alpha Team's resentment of the new member prevent them from recognizing the wounded soul in their midst before it's too late to save him?

 **SOLACE Summary**

After six years in the Army Special Forces, former Master Corporal Dan Broderick is seeking to rebuild his professional and personal lives following several tragic losses. Making the transition from Special Forces Soldier to Urban Police Officer and learning to trust again are difficult for Dan because experience has shown him that everyone he cares about is ultimately taken from him. His teammates, each in their own way, are reaching out to Dan. Will he accept their overtures or continue hiding his battered heart and wounded soul behind his shields?

Three members of Alpha Team—Bram, Lexa, and Jon—are making progress with the puzzle that is Dan Broderick. Can they forge a path behind Dan's shield for the rest of the team to follow?

Bram De Haven, a devoted husband and father of four girls, sees something within their rookie that the others on the team have missed. Can his gentle fatherly ways offer Dan a safe harbor in the storm?

Lexa McKenna is a strong self-determined woman with a tender heart that she protects behind a carefully constructed shield to avoid being hurt by love. Romance between teammates is forbidden, but something about Dan Broderick intrigues her. Will the attraction between Dan and Lexa heal their wounded hearts or destroy them both?

Jon Hardy, Tactical Lead of Alpha Team, takes his responsibility to maintain the safety of the team seriously. He is a hard, demanding, stubborn man who hides his softer emotions behind an exterior gruffness. Can he recognize and begin to change his ways before he alienates the most important people in his life?

Will Alpha Team recognize that they all hide behind shields and succeed as they try to earn Dan's trust and help him see that he belongs? Will events in the rough and tumble world of the Police Tactical Response Force assist or prevent them from making a connection with the rookie?


	49. Harriet Lambourne's Suicide

**Harriet Lambourne** **'s Suicide**

* * *

 _ **Harriet Lambourne's Home**_

Harriet puttered around her rose bushes and other flowers in her greenhouse. She loved gardening—it was one of the things she truly enjoyed in this world. But tonight, her mind wasn't on gardening. She had left the office mid-morning without telling her staff where she was going. She couldn't wait any longer to see the pain and worry in Jeanette's eyes, so she planned to arrive unannounced at Jeanette's home at lunchtime.

When Jeanette opened the door, she'd seen Nicolette, Anna-Marie, and Dom. Somehow that damned man had lived and saved his daughters. Harriet had no clue if Dom knew or not, but her mind decided he didn't because she was warmly welcomed into their home and asked to join them for lunch. She couldn't see any difference in of them. If Dom had known, he would've told Jeanette and if Jeanette had known, there is no way she would've allowed her daughters within a mile of her.

But, Nicolette and Anna-Marie were in the room. They were pale and less talkative than normal and seemed to cling to Dom. Jeanette said the girls had gotten ill and were not quite themselves yet. She'd also met the family that was staying with them. Dom said the man Andros was a good friend from Canada and his family was just visiting France on their way to do humanitarian work.

Everything had seemed so normal. She had a hard time covering her own anger at seeing both the girls and Dom healthy and hail—and alive. Her plan had not worked. Harriet needed to figure out a way to get rid of all of them. She'd gone back to work and sealed herself in her office for the rest of the afternoon.

When she left the office at the end of the day, Jean-Michel had asked her if she was alright. She'd waved him off and told him she was just tired and didn't feel quite herself today. It satisfied him and he backed off.

She was tired in fact. Harriet got up from her knees and headed to the back to her greenhouse to put her tools away then she would head into the house needing a drink to settle her nerves.

From inside Harriet's home, Jeanette and Dom watched Harriet turn off the light of the greenhouse and begin to walk towards her home. Jeanette turned to Dom and said, "Her dropping by unexpectedly today gave us a good alibi, especially when Jean-Michel called this evening to ask if we'd seen Harriet and if she was doing okay. Being able to tell him we were surprised by her visit at lunch and that she seemed off, will help."

Dom nodded. "That was brilliant when you told Jean-Michel that she seemed very depressed and asked him if everything was going okay with her at work. His reply will help a lot. It's good to know that her office staff have noticed her drinking getting out of hand. Harriet is really slipping these days."

"To our advantage. That woman—no, snake—that snake dies tonight. She crossed the line, harmed our girls, our friends and put so many others at risk. I will feel no remorse in her death." Jeanette then turned and with gloved hands finished typing out the suicide note on Harriet's computer.

Dom watched Harriet's progress towards the house. When she was nearly there, Dom set the vodka bottle back into the cabinet. Then both he and Jeanette slipped into the shadows of the room to watch.

Harriet entered her study and headed right to her alcohol cabinet and pulled out the vodka. She had many other types of alcohol, but that was for guests, she only drank the vodka. She poured a large portion and took a large drink, then another. She refilled her glass and then turned to go sit at her desk. She took the bottle and glass with her.

She sat down and took two more large drinks and refilled her glass again. Then she noticed that her computer screen was on. The color drained from her face as she read the note that was written in French.

I'm sorry I just can't live with myself any longer. I have betrayed my friends and my country—everything I used to hold dear. In the folder on my desk is a list of operatives whose very lives I have compromised. May god forgive me for what I have done, because I cannot forgive myself for such treachery.

Harriet reached for her right-hand drawer where she kept her gun.

Jeanette stepped out of the shadows with Harriet's gun aimed at her. "You won't find your gun in the drawer, Harriet."

Harriet froze.

Moving closer, Jeanette said, "Drink up, I think you'll need it. I have some questions for you."

She knew, oh god, Jeanette knew. Harriet took a very large drink of the vodka. "You won't get away with this, Jeanette. People who know me, know that I'd never commit suicide. Never. You won't get me to use my own gun on myself."

Dom laughed as he stepped from the shadows.

Harriet's hand started to shake at that laugh and she downed another large drink, looking for courage. They both knew. How the hell was she going to get out of this alive. She started to sweat. As she wiped her forehead she said, "What makes you think I have anything to do with your girls kidnapping?"

"Well, for starters … how did you know they were kidnapped. We never told anyone," Dom drawled as he came forward and with gloved hands poured more vodka into Harriet's glass.

When the glass was full, Harriet nervously brought it to her lips and drank as she realized her mistake. She tried another path. "Nicolette is my goddaughter, I would never hurt a hair on her head."

Jeanette cocked the gun and her voice was hard as she retorted, "No but you'd pay someone else to do it for you. Never get your hands dirty doing it yourself. Why Harriet, why? We were friends. I trusted you? You betrayed me. Why?"

Taking another drink, Harriett's mind sought out a plausible lie that would save her skin. But seeing the look in Jeanette's eyes she realized that no lie would work. She spat out, "I hated you. You stole Dom from me. Then you had the audacity to ask me to be your brat's godmother." She turned to Dom. "I hate you too, you should be dead now."

Dom grinned and just topped off her vodka glass.

She took another drink and then finally stopped and looked at the glass in her hands. Her eyes widened in horror. "You poisoned me, didn't you?"

His voice slow and languid, Dom said, "It's a new poison I learned about. Nearly killed William Braddock's son as he helped rescue our girls from the sick bastard you sent them too. Rest assured, we saved the girls before any permanent damage was done to them. And William's son will make it.

"However, watching the pain he was in was very difficult. And he only got a very small dose of the poison. You however had consumed enough now to kill twenty cows fifty times over. It will give me a sense of pleasure to watch you in pain. It is justice for the evil you have done."

A stab of pain hit Harriet in the gut. She bent over and the vodka glass fell from her hand as she wrapped her hands around her stomach. She was sweating profusely now. As the pain ebbed a moment she looked at Dom. "You won't get away with this. A toxicology report will show the poison and they will know it was murder."

Jeanette stepped forward to the desk and moved a box of herbicide from behind the computer monitor and set it in the middle of her desk. "Yes, it will show, but it won't be classified as murder. It'll be seen as suicide because this box of herbicide comes from your very own greenhouse—it has your prints all over it. And statistically, women tend to choose suicide by poison more than blowing their brains out."

Harriet stared at the box as Jeanette sprinkled a tiny bit around the bottle of vodka that was sitting on the desk. She begged, "Give me the antidote. I'll pay you, I'll pay you everything I have. Everything. Then you will never see me again."

Dom shook his head. "There is no antidote. No amount of money is going to save you. You tried to kill my girls—sell them into sexual slavery. You endangered the lives of good men and women in your quest for money. You're despicable. Your own hate brought you to this point. This is justice being served—you have been found guilty by a jury of your former peers and death is your sentence."

Harriet screamed as pain gripped her gut. She convulsed and fell from the chair. Harriet withered in pain on the floor for several minutes as Dom watched. Jeanette turned her head, unable to watch. She set the gun down on the desk and headed out of the room.

Fifteen minutes later, Dom found Jeanette sitting on the stairs with her head down on her knees and her arms wrapped around her legs. He heard the quiet cries. Dom sat down next to Jeanette and wrapped his arm around her and drew her close to him. "It's done. She'd dead. Let's go, my sweet Jeannette."

Jeanette wiped her eyes, nodded and blew out a shaky breath. She turned to Dom and said, "My tears are not for Harriet, they were for William's son. For all he did, all he was willing to do, and all the pain he went through to save our girls. That is a debt that we can never fully repay."

Dom kissed Jeanette on both cheeks, then both eyes, and finally on her lips. He stood and held out his hand to the love of his life and her hand landed in his. As she stood, Dom said, "I know. Should William or Sam ever need anything, I will be fully at their disposal. Let's go home to our innocent hearts."

"Did you get the contents from her safe?" Jeanette asked.

"I made copies and left the originals. I will covertly notify those that have been compromised so they can take whatever protections they deem necessary. I would have loved to divert her funds to help in our new cause, but I felt they should remain intact to avoid any suspicion," Dom answered as they stealthily slipped out of Harriet's home and into the dark of the night.

.

* * *

 **AN:** Hey, another chapter - sorry about the very slow posting but all my efforts are going towards getting **BELONGING: Hope, Truth, and Malice** ready for publication.

It's exciting to take my original story and revamp it—making it better with tons of new content, fixing some plot holes with new intrigue. If you like all the twists, turns and connections of my fanfiction– then you'll love the books—they are filled with them and Dan's and Lexa's relationship is getting off the ground in the third book—it is quite a ride.

I'm hoping to have BELONGING ready for publication by the end of the month. While you wait for that, check out the first two books, **FORSAKEN: On the Edge of Oblivion** and **SOLACE: Behind the Shield**. Both are available on Amazon in ebook or print versions for a small price. Just **search for Laura Acton on Amazon** and my books will appear.

The books are also available as part of Amazon's Kindle Unlimited subscription program – which I believe they offer a free 30-day trial for. So you could essentially read the first two books for free during the free subscription period and get to know the new story line so you are up to speed on all the happening when Belonging comes out.

Thanks to everyone that has purchased a book. It really makes my day. If you've purchased them, I'd love to hear what you thought of them. You could leave a review on Amazon, PM me via fanfiction site or you can email me directly at lauraacton1 at gmail dot com (no spaces and replace the at and dot with the appropriate symbols).


	50. Goireas Fìor Ghaisgeach

**Goireas Fìor Ghaisgeach**

* * *

 _ **Middle of the Caspian Sea – Yacht Deck**_

Anastasia held onto Patch who was sitting on a crate on the deck of the yacht. He was still so seasick that Blaze had helped her get Patch up here. She rechecked his life jacket and made sure it was securely fastened. Anastasia was worried for him, getting Patch from the boat to the seaplane was going to be very risky in his condition. He was too weak to help himself and if he ended up in the water ….

Brushing away that thought, because there was no way the guys were going to let that happen to Patch, she leaned down to Patch and said, "Not long now. I see Mike approaching."

Patch grabbed his stomach as it threatened to heave again. He now had a new appreciation for the pain that Blondie had been in. His abs ached with every movement from all the hurling he'd done. He was gonna to be damned glad to get off this yacht and he'd be damned if he ever stepped foot on a boat again in this lifetime.

He looked up at Anastasia and asked, "How's Blondie?"

"Matt said he was doing okay. No seasickness, but he's still pretty shaky and weak from the effects of the poison. He kept down his broth though." Anastasia increased her grip on Patch as he bent over and succumbed to another round of dry heaves. She loved the open sea, but she couldn't wait to get the guys off this boat and get Blondie and Patch to a hospital.

Blaze strode up to Anastasia, barely able to keep his footing on the slick wet deck as the waves heaved them up, down, and sideward. The weatherman had been wrong, the storm had not blown out and calmed as much as predicted. However, Mike said the weather had settled enough that he'd risk the flight. Blaze agreed because he needed to get Patch and Blondie to the hospital. They couldn't wait out the storm any longer.

He wiped the rain from his eyes as he called out to Anastasia, "When Mike lands, I'm gonna swim over and rig a line between the yacht and the plane. Mike can't get too close and risk damaging the plane by it hitting the boat. Then we will use a safety line to bring Patch and Blondie across."

Anastasia nodded. "Got it. Mason is working on sabotaging the boat. I told him that he didn't need to blow a hole in it. I worked a piracy op where one of the primary targets targeted rich couples. He robbed them, locked them below deck and then sunk the yacht making it look like an accident after making a mayday call. I learned some simple things Mason could do so it looks like an accident."

Patch looked up at Anastasia. "Remind me not to go on a boat with you if you're mad at me. Wait, I won't need that reminder—never stepping foot on a boat again."

She laughed, but put a gentle hand on the back of his neck and lightly massaged, trying to give him some comfort.

"What's Mason doing and how much time do we have?" Blaze asked as he started rigging the line to the boat.

"Told him to remove the hose clamps on the seacocks so the hoses below the waterline will come off. We should be off before there's a problem," Anastasia stated.

"Should be? You need to be more specific. How long do we have?" Blaze asked firmly not liking the vague answer.

Anastasia said, "Given the rough sea, we have about thirty to forty-five minutes."

Blaze grimaced as he gripped the railing when another huge swell sent them up and down and listed the boat crazily to one side. He hoped they could get Blondie and Patch across in that time. Neither were in any shape to go for a swim. "Okay, after I tie this off, I'll go help Matt bring Blondie up." He patted Patch on the shoulder. "Not much longer, buddy."

Patch's response was to bend over and heave again.

* * *

 _ **Seaplane**_

Mike made his approach. The plane was buffeted about roughly as he tried to land on the water. The weather was rougher than he expected, but he wouldn't call it off and head back. The guys were out of food and by the sounds of it, Sam and Patch were in bad shape.

He managed to get the plane down, but he was a good distance from the yacht. He was further than he wanted to be, yet he didn't dare get closer. If the plane hit the yacht and was damaged, then they'd all be up a creek without a paddle.

Mike crawled to the back and opened the sliding door then signaled the boat that he was ready. He saw Anastasia signal him back. Now he just had to wait for Blaze to make the swim. He hoped that Blaze was a strong swimmer, the rough waters would make the swim between the boat and the plane very difficult.

As he waited, Mike thought about his call with Dom early this morning. He'd taken care of the Harriet issue, so once Mike was done getting the unit back to Kandahar, he would meet up with Dom to take care of the Panin issue. His mind conjured up several scenarios of things he would like to do to Panin once he got a hold of him. Top on his list would be to subject Panin to the same degrading, dehumanizing things that Panin had subjected so many people to—he especially wanted vengeance for all the children that Panin had hurt.

Mike became alert when he saw Blaze prepare to jump into the water. He knew he couldn't dive after Blaze if he got into trouble—he needed to stay with the plane. Mike was glad to see Matt on deck too. If Blaze got into trouble, Matt would get him.

* * *

 _ **Yacht Deck**_

Matt held tightly to Sam and leaned close. "You got this. Just think of it as rappelling across a gorge. Remember? Like we did in training. It's just the river running at the bottom of the gorge."

Sam was pale and his grip on Matt never lessened. He tried valiantly to focus on the fact he would be off the boat and away from open water very soon. He shook like a leaf, but luckily everyone assumed it was his weakened state from the poison rather than fear. Matt had done a good job seeding that story.

Matt checked Sam's lifejacket for the tenth time. To be honest, he was scared to death of sending Sam across the line in his current state. He was so frightened for Sam that he forgot his own fear of flying. Well not actually forgot, but there would be time for that once they were in the air. Until then he'd focus on Sam's needs.

Blaze turned to the four on deck. He wanted to reduce Matt's fear for Blondie, show him the rigging was stable before Blondie was sent across, so he stated, "First across will be Patch. Then Blondie. Anastasia, you'll be after them, then Matt and Mason bringing up the rear."

Matt quickly offered, "I'll be last." He couldn't completely hide his fear of getting on the plane—but perhaps he could delay getting on it as long as possible.

Blaze patted Matt's back understanding that Matt's fear drove his comment. Blondie would normally be the one to distract Matt, but he could see Blondie was in no condition to do that at the moment. So he grinned and said, "Nope, Mason's last. If Mason gets into trouble going across, I'll need your strength to help pull Mason to the plane, buddy. It'll be like catching a killer whale."

Matt chuckled at Blaze's comment and nodded.

Anastasia smiled at the jest but kept her attention on checking that both lines were secure on Blaze as she stated, "You get in trouble out there, we'll haul you back, but I think you're more like a barracuda—fearsome in appearance and ferocious behavior." When she was satisfied the lines were secure, she added. "I wish you would let me swim over. I'm an excellent swimmer."

"As I said earlier, Anastasia, it's too risky. It'll require someone with more upper body strengthen than you have to haul Patch and Blondie into the plane," Blaze stated truthfully as he rechecked his lines.

Anastasia joked, "What a sexist comment."

Blaze grinned. They'd gone round and round on this point early this morning when he, Mason, and Anastasia discussed a plan. Anastasia might be the best swimmer, but she just didn't possess the strength needed if things went wrong and the line snapped. He wasn't about to risk anyone's life—they were too close to making it safely back. "Truth though, little guppy. You just make sure our guys are rigged in nice and tight—I'm counting on you to do that for me."

She nodded. Blaze was right and had made the right choices for the entire unit's safety. As an honorary member of Blaze's unit now, Anastasia would do her part and make sure Patch and Sam were secure and leave the brute strength to the guys.

Matt re-positioned Sam's hand to the railing and gave him reassuring look as he said, "Hold on here so you stay safe, I gotta grab Blaze's line."

Sam nodded and his death grip on the railing didn't go unnoticed by Blaze.

Blaze simply patted Blondie's back and said, "Hang tight kid. We'll have you off this boat and onto terra firma soon. Then we can all get the rest we need." He turned and nodded to Matt who had a firm grip on his safety line then he smoothly dove into the sea.

The four on the deck of the boat and Mike in the plane kept vigilant eyes on Blaze as he sliced through the water. Matt played out the line as Blaze made his way through the churning swells.

* * *

 _ **Seaplane**_

Blaze was a strong swimmer, but by the time he made it to the plane he was digging deep for strength. He grabbed the line that Mike threw to him and wrapped it securely around his wrist several times. Blaze was loathed to admit that Mike more or less pulled him up into the plane, his energy waning. Blaze chalked it up to several days with little to eat. He shuddered to think how Blondie or Patch would fare if they had to swim. It was a good thing they had the rappelling gear that Matt had used the night he took out Panin's guards from the roof.

Mike untied the line from Blaze as he said, "Rest, let me rig the line."

Blaze nodded. "Patch is first. We have about thirty minutes to get them all on board before the boat sinks."

"Doable," Mike stated. "Winds sent you all a care package. Said Jarmal packed it special. It's in the back." Mike finished attaching the line and signaled Matt that he was ready for them to send over Patch."

"Good, we certainly could use something more substantial to eat." Blaze gripped the secondary line they would use to haul Patch over. Patch would be attached to two lines also so Matt could pull the pulley line back to the boat and attach it to Blondie next. They would repeat that process with each one of them.

* * *

 _ **Yacht Deck**_

Anastasia and Matt hooked Patch's carabiner to the main line and securely attached the pulley lines to him. Matt glanced at Sam to make sure that Sam's grip on the railing with both hands was still secure. He didn't want Sam slipping while he helped Patch over side of the boat. Seeing that Sam was secure, Matt turned his attention back to Patch. "Ready?"

Patch nodded. "Been ready for …" He started heaving again.

Matt waited until Patch was done and squeezed his shoulder as Patch gave him a thumbs up and weak smile. Matt assisted Patch over the railing. Anastasia signaled Blaze and Mike and they began to pull Patch across. The wild up and down motion of the two crafts made for a wild ride for Patch. They all heard him retching—poor guy was so seasick.

Sam had his eyes shut tight trying not to look at the sea. He was sweating, shaking, and his knuckles were ghostly white as he held onto the rail. In his head, he was trying to picture the gorge they'd crossed in training. That had been fun. But the wild pitching of the boat kept knocking that picture out and replacing it with one that was nothing but pitch black. His breathing became ragged.

"Mind over matter," Sam whispered to himself. "I can do this. It's just rappelling." Sam realized he was speaking out loud and clamped his mouth shut.

Sam's eyes shot wide open when Mason's voice called out, "Matt, I need your help to sink the boat. I can't get into the crawl space to remove the last two clamps. Thought about just punching a hole in the hull, but can't do that, would look suspicious if they find the wreck."

Matt cringed. He'd have to leave Sam to help Mason. He couldn't ask Mason to stay because he didn't know where the clamps were that he needed to undo.

Anastasia said. "Help me get Sam latched in and then when he is on his way, you two can finish up sinking her." Then she began pulling the lines back to them.

Matt whispered in Sam's ear just before he and Mason lifted Sam over the rail. "You got this."

Sam couldn't breathe. His heart was pounding so hard in his chest it hurt. His grip on Matt's lifevest was rock solid and he didn't want to let go.

Mason recognized the terrified look in Blondie's eyes and was perplexed by it. He chalked it up to all the kid had been through. Blondie was so weak from being so sick and having inadequate food it was probably scaring the shit out of Blondie that he wasn't strong enough to swim for long if the rope failed. Quite frankly, it scared the crap out of him too.

Holding Blondie securely, Mason said reassuringly, "We got ya, Sunshine. You done good. Let us do all the work to get you across. All you have to do is enjoy the ride."

Matt nodded and forcefully pried Sam's hands from his lifevest and placed them so Sam could transfer his death grip to the line that would pull Sam to the plane. "Just hold on, don't let go I need ya in the plane, brother."

Sam managed a slight nod.

* * *

 _ **Over Caspian Sea**_

As Mason's and Matt's hands left him and Sam hung over the water attached to the line, his eyes locked onto Matt's. He wished Matt could stay on deck and keep eye contact with him, but he knew Matt needed to go help Mason. When Matt reluctantly turned, Sam locked his eyes on Anastasia. Her soft smile was what he tried to focus on as his rigid body started its trip across the expanse.

He was only a few feet away from the boat when a huge swell caused the boat to lurch madly. Sam's eye went wide with terror as he saw Anastasia lose her footing and fall forward. His mind tried to push away the image of her falling overboard and the boat striking her on the back as it came down off the swell. Anastasia bobbed just below him, face down in the water.

Sam didn't think—he reacted. He unlatched the carabiner from the primary line and his body dropped into the sea. The rush of cold water as it swallowed him up sent him into a panic as he scissor-kicked. His head broke the surface of the water and he was within arm's length of Anastasia. Sam blindly reached out, grabbed Anastasia, and flipped her on her back.

As he pulled her to him, Sam held onto her with a death grip as his panic overtook him. He was going to drown. The waves crashed over his head again and again. Sam wasn't aware of the shouts from both the plane and the boat. He wasn't aware that he and Anastasia were being dragged through the water towards the plane. All he was aware of was that he couldn't let go of Anastasia or else he'd drown. His primal self-preservation mode overrode his need to protect and he desperately clung to Anastasia—not to save her but to save himself.

* * *

 _ **Seaplane**_

Blaze was bellowing at the top of his lungs for Mason and Matt when he and Mike watched in horror as Anastasia went overboard. Their horror increased when Blondie released the carabiner and plunged into the water. They went into action and frantically pulled the line when they saw Blondie grab onto Anastasia.

* * *

 _ **Yacht Deck**_

Mason grabbed Matt to prevent him from jumping into the water when they reached the deck after hearing Blaze's shouts that Anastasia when overboard. He was almost too late to stop Matt, but his yell paused Matt long enough for him to physically restrain him.

"Hold, Matt. Look, Blondie's got her. You're not tied into anything. It's suicide to jump. Blondie's got her and Blaze and Mike got both of them," Mason stated. He felt the tension in Matt, it didn't decrease, so he held tight afraid Matt would still jump.

Matt watched. Old images of a Sam's cold blue dead face flashed in his mind. He leaned over the railing and retched at the thought of Sam drowning again. Mason's strong arms held him so he didn't fall overboard as he lost the contents of his stomach—only bile and water came up. He came too close to losing Sam again. His heart pounded against his ribs, each beat surging the blood through his ears so that he couldn't hear anything else.

His eyes remained riveted on Sam as he was rapidly pulled through the water to the plane. He saw the stark terror in Sam's eyes and was amazed that he was cognizant enough to maintain his grip on Anastasia. But then he realized that Sam wasn't aware, it was blind panic. Sam was holding onto her like he'd held onto him in the cabin for the past three days. Anastasia was Sam's lifeline, but Sam was also Anastasia's. She would've drowned if Sam hadn't dropped down and grabbed her.

The tension started to ebb from his body as Blaze and Mike hauled Sam and Anastasia into the seaplane and they saw Anastasia start to come around as she was moved into a seat in the plane.

Mason felt the relaxing muscles and grinned as he released his hold on Matt. "Well don't that beat all. Weak as a newborn kitten and Blondie saves the day again."

Matt's hands shook as he pulled the secondary line back to the boat. "Yeah, Sam's good at that—it's in his blood."

Mason nodded. "He's got the courage of a Goireas fìor ghaisgeach."

"What's that?"

Grinning, Mason answered, "A true highland warrior."

.

* * *

 **AN:** **BELONGING: Hope, Truth, and Malice** , the third book in my Beauty of Life series is now available on Amazon.

The **Beauty of Life series** takes my original fanfiction stories and revamps them—with **tons of new content** and **new and expanded story lines** while still keeping the same heart and familiar feel of my fanfiction stories.

If you like all the details, twists, turns, and connections of my fanfiction–then you'll love the books—they're filled with them.

If you're a JAM fan become a LAN fan – come fall in love with Dan and Lexa. Their relationship has all the passion of JAM with a new exciting and hot way they first meet. Their relationship is a slow burning build of their soulmate connection that is getting off the ground in the third book—it's quite a ride.

If you love the Team, the General, the Broderick family, Blaze, Patch, Winds, Mason, and the rest of the cast of characters, you should enjoy the new Beauty of Life series—they get more time than before. In fact, I've added so much new content that I had to break Belonging into two books since half way through it was as long as the original story. The second half will be titled OUTLIER: Blood, Brotherhood, and Beauty and will pick up where BELONGING ends.

 **To get your copy** go to Amazon and **search for Laura Acton**.

 **If you don't have a Kindle** — **no problem** —just download Amazon's free reader app—it works on phones, tablets and computers.

 **FORSAKEN Summary  
** Dan Broderick is on the edge of oblivion. After a friendly fire incident, his heart and soul were ripped to shreds. He chose to leave Special Forces when his unit, men he considered brothers, turned their backs on him. Dan returned to Toronto where he hoped to find the beauty of life and make a difference as a sniper for the Tactical Response Force. Will his new team pull him back from the edge or be the reason he slips into oblivion?

Alpha Team is the elite team of Toronto's Tactical Response Force. Five men and one woman with a rare familial bond, help each other cope with the dark side of humanity as they keep the citizens of Toronto and each other safe. Their team balance is knocked off kilter when an unwanted, new teammate is forced on them. Will Alpha Team's resentment of the new member prevent them from recognizing the wounded soul in their midst before it's too late to save him?

 **SOLACE** **Summary** **  
**After six years in the Army Special Forces, former Master Corporal Dan Broderick is seeking to rebuild his professional and personal lives following several tragic losses. Making the transition from Special Forces Soldier to Urban Police Officer and learning to trust again are difficult for Dan because experience has shown him that everyone he cares about is ultimately taken from him. His teammates, each in their own way, are reaching out to Dan. Will he accept their overtures or continue hiding his battered heart and wounded soul behind his shields?

Three members of Alpha Team—Bram, Lexa, and Jon—are making progress with the puzzle that is Dan Broderick. Can they forge a path behind Dan's shield for the rest of the team to follow?

Bram De Haven, a devoted husband and father of four girls, sees something within their rookie that the others on the team have missed. Can his gentle fatherly ways offer Dan a safe harbor in the storm?

Lexa McKenna is a strong self-determined woman with a tender heart that she protects behind a carefully constructed shield to avoid being hurt by love. Romance between teammates is forbidden, but something about Dan Broderick intrigues her. Will the attraction between Dan and Lexa heal their wounded hearts or destroy them both?

Jon Hardy, Tactical Lead of Alpha Team, takes his responsibility to maintain the safety of the team seriously. He is a hard, demanding, stubborn man who hides his softer emotions behind an exterior gruffness. Can he recognize and begin to change his ways before he alienates the most important people in his life?

Will Alpha Team recognize that they all hide behind shields and succeed as they try to earn Dan's trust and help him see that he belongs? Will events in the rough and tumble world of the Police Tactical Response Force assist or prevent them from making a connection with the rookie?

 **BELONGING** **Summary** **  
**Dan Broderick has been slowly putting the pieces of his life together again. It was a rough year as he struggled to find acceptance with Alpha Team. On the day when the last piece fits into place and he feels he belongs, events explode around him and threaten his newfound security, his memories, and maybe even his life.

Lexa McKenna has fought against her attraction to Dan Broderick, scared to risk everything, insisting to herself that they're just friends. A series of cascading events may decide the future of her relationship with Dan before she has a chance to accept the truth of her feelings.

General William Broderick has tried for years to decipher the root cause of his painful estrangement from his son, Daniel. His wife, Yvonne, maintains hope that he will eventually solve the puzzle. The truth is almost within his reach, but betrayal and hidden enemies with old grudges may tear father and son apart forever.

Blaze, Winds, and Patch have battled their grief and guilt after they lost two important pieces of their lives. After Brody's death, they failed Blondie when he needed them most. For the past year they have searched for him, but something or someone prevented them from finding him. One fateful day, a chance encounter brings Blondie back to them, but it may be too late to save him.


	51. He's Back!

**He's Back!**

* * *

 _ **June 9**_  
 _ **International Forces Bar – 2215 Hours**_

Julie Pinchas stared at Sam Braddock as she stewed. His demeanor tonight so different from two weeks ago. Gone was the timid, shy man and in its place was one who appeared quite comfortable with women. She had been a pariah to men once someone leaked her ranking of men by their chests. She suspected Karla but had no proof. The only one who commiserated with her had been gone for the last seven days, and she had no idea when Murphy would return. Sick of being ignored by all the men, Julie downed her beer and left alone.

Sam sipped his ginger ale and never once noticed Julie, who had stared at him the entire night. He smiled glancing around the table at his brothers … all laughing at Matt's last joke. After a harrowing takeoff, a rough flight, frenetic activity when they arrived at the base, and a five-day hospital stay Sam was glad to be back with his brothers. Dr. Parker told him that his kidneys recovered, mainly due to Patch's early intervention with the bentonite clay.

Though fully recovered, the doctor insisted he baby his insides and avoid alcohol for at least a month. That was fine with Sam, the thought of alcohol after being poison by vodka was off-putting. Tonight, they were here to enjoy and kick back after an intense after-action debriefing with Colonel Sutton.

Sam peered at Blaze and was glad the general didn't make an appearance at the debriefing. If he had, Blaze might've gone through with his desire to put a boot up General Badass' ass. He preferred Blaze to remain in command of this unit … and if he lost control in front of his superiors, they might lose him.

His attention was drawn back to the nurse beside him. He grinned as her hand roamed over his thigh. He put his arm around her and leaned over to kiss her. He didn't feel awkward doing so … back to his old Sinner ways … well, almost. There would always be a bit of trepidation of how a woman would react to his scars. He never wanted to experience the reaction of Julie again, but Julianne had already seen the scarring while he was in the hospital.

He grinned as he recalled the sponge bath she gave him. Luckily none of the guys were around as the event turned into something embarrassing for him. Julianne had been professional, but both were willing, and as soon as he was released and no longer under her care, they hooked up. He learned from both Anastasia and Julianne that not all women were cruel as they saw beyond his scarred exterior. Sam's eyes shifted to Anastasia … now a sister of the heart to all of them.

Well, not sister to all … Ripsaw and Anastasia were now an item … they seemed to click on many levels. Glancing around the table, it made Sam happy to see everyone paired off for the night. They could all use a different kind of undercover op tonight.

He noted Winds speaking softly in French to Angelique. Patch had his arm around Elise, the medical tech, and she wore his t-shirt. Mason and the redhead, Sherry, were deep into conversation about who knows what. Blaze chatted up a supply sergeant from Australia, Samantha Harris. Matt appeared to be enjoying the attention of an American logistics clerk, Lisa Cooper, who loved his sense of humor.

Julianne shifted closer and whispered, "How about we go somewhere quieter? My roommate has late duty tonight." Her hand slid up his thigh and over his crotch. Her intent not lost on Sam.

Sam set his ginger ale down and clasped her hand. Turning to Blaze and said, "Hate to break up the party, but Julianne and I are gonna head out now."

Blaze smiled and nodded. The kid was back in all ways that mattered.

Sam bid the rest goodnight then stood and slung his arm over Julianne's shoulders wearing a lopsided grin as they strolled out of the bar.

.

* * *

I felt I should conclude this story on FF, so I wrote a very short ending. However, my seventh published novel, **GUARDIANS Mission to Rescue Innocence** takes the second half of RoMCSB and revises it significantly, adding in tons of new content and providing a more satisfying ending.

.

 **GUARDIANS Mission to Rescue Innocence** is now available on Amazon. Search for **Laura Acton**.

 **GUARDIANS** picks up where **SERENITY** stopped and provides a glimpse at Brody's death from Brody's perspective. Dan spends some quality time with all his family as his unit brothers surprise him. This is Dan, so even in the fun ... things happen and he has a hero moment.

This book continues with an expanded and highly revised version of the mission in Makhachkala to rescue Dom's girls. You get many new scenes ... such as rounding up the guys before the mission, obtaining the weapons, a special moment between Brody and the abbess, Panin's fate ... plus, plus, plus more. The ending of the book brings Dan back to the present and you get to see Jim's/Patch's bachelor party and some fun and steamy LAN moments. When Dan returns to work, his past and present collide during a protection detail and ... well, I won't spoil it.

At 591 pages, **GUARDIANS** is so choked full of new content it is longer than **PURGATORY** (which was the first half of RoMCSB).

.

 **GUARDIANS Mission to Rescue Innocence:**

Freed from misconceptions which distorted his life, Daniel Broderick seeks to recapture the innocence of his childhood while celebrating the holiday and new year with family.

Against a backdrop of bright and cheerful festivities, loom the shadows of a dark and dangerous covert mission which threatened to end Dan's life and shatter his fragile soul.

In an inferno of treachery and international intrigue, the Guardians exemplify honor, duty, and solidarity as Dan attempts to rise like a Phoenix from the ashes to reclaim his wings.


End file.
